


liquid courage

by alltears



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Angst, Completed, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, Modern Era, Musicals, Not a meet cute, Slow Burn, so hang in there, teaching au ladiez buckle up, the homecoming kids are the students in this because DUH, tony steve and natasha are the dream team, trans!peter, when i say slow burn i MEAN sloooooooow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-07 05:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14664057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltears/pseuds/alltears
Summary: thor is newest science teacher at crawford high. bruce can deal with that.(aka the sickest [only] brucethor teachers!au in town)*RENAMED, USED TO BE “YOU NEVER CHOOSE”*





	1. overture

**Author's Note:**

> *basic plot past chapter 10 is by twitter user @dannysexbean, all specific writing is by alltears*
> 
> enjoy!

**WEEK ONE**

 

The first day of school at Crawford High School was both Bruce Banner’s favorite day of the year and least favorite day of the year.

 

Second only to Purim, September third was always a day of meeting new students, the smell of newly-sharpened pencils, and wearing his best sweater in his favorite shade of lavender. It also was a time of enormous anxiety and said new students still in their “summer mode”, but Bruce’s excitement always overpowered any negative thoughts that tried to sneak their way into his head.

 

Crawford had been a safe haven for Bruce ever since he started working as a science teacher there nearly five years previous. He was able to bond with the future of the world over four years with the brightest students through the tech crew for the many school shows, and every bit of teaching and mentoring made Bruce feel like he was truly making a difference. The list of his ex-students that went on to do great things stayed ever-growing on the whiteboard in his classroom.

 

Another element of his dry-erase board that remained a constant staple in room 129 was his “SCIENCE JOKE OF THE DAY”. The bright colors and large writing almost definitely distracted his students during the lectures, but he put hard work into those, so hey. Worth it.

 

Though he was over the moon to meet the freshmen that would join his physical earth science class, after Mr. Ferrigno retired from his teaching position in the science department just across the hall from Bruce, he was looking forward to meeting his replacement even more. Though he adored his colleagues and their wisdom, it sometimes got frustrating being one of the only people above 18 and under 40 in the building.

 

The overhead bell rang, signifying that there were only 20 minutes until his first period of honors biology sophomores would begin to filter in. Taking a deep breath, he stood in front of the spot for the science joke and uncapped his neon pink marker.

 

“This joke sets your tone for the entire year, Brucie,” He whispered to no one, appreciating the drama of the situation while also making himself more anxious by adding the pressure. Bruce paused, resting his palm against the cool board, and scribbled a joke out in his best handwriting. He stepped away to admire his joke.

 

“‘I try to tell chemistry jokes, but there’s no reaction?’” An English voice boomed behind him. Bruce whipped around, dropping his marker to the ground and facing the doorway with wide eyes.

 

Any fear or anger he felt for an intruder entering his classroom disappeared when his gaze met that of a, quite frankly, _beautiful_ man. He must’ve been heads taller than Bruce’s 5’7” (and a half!), his hair was gold and cut just below his chin, and my god, he was _ripped_. Pink rose to Bruce’s cheeks, and he attempted to center himself and stand in a way that flattered him - though he must’ve looked ridiculous shifting his weight from one foot to another over and over.

 

“Can I help you, uh, sir?” Bruce asked. A cheery smile spread over the stranger’s face and he bounded over to Bruce.

 

“I’m Thor!” He introduced himself, holding out a hand. “It’s a good joke!”

 

“Thanks,” Bruce shook his hand warily, holding back the urge to inquire about the origins of his name. “Nice to meet you, Thor.”

 

The pair stood in silence at that. Thor still wore a dopey grin, gripping Bruce’s hand tightly before dropping it and putting his hands on his hips. Bruce wiped his palm on the side of his pants.

 

“Sorry, I still don’t know… _who_ you are?” Bruce stated.

 

“Oh!” Thor’s face fell. “My apologizes, Dr. Banner. I’m starting here in the science department this year! 120, just across the hall.”

 

“Of course, sorry. Nice to meet you,” Bruce held out his hand again, only for Thor to stare down at it, confused. “Right, we did that already. How did you know my name?”

 

“I was told to talk to the department head, and that’s you. And it says it on your whiteboard, and your desk, and outside your room.”

 

The words might have rubbed someone the wrong way - And to Bruce, they slightly did - but Thor’s grin was back, and it was clear that the slight jab was in no way meant to hurt his feelings.

 

“Ah. Are you settling in to Crawford okay?”

 

“Yes! It’s more America that I need to settle into. I do love that toilets flush backwards over here, though! And when people say “y’all”. I want to start saying that, too!”

 

“Ha, right,” Bruce paused and frowned. “Uh, that toilet thing is a misconception though. You know that, right?”

 

“Wow, really? Who knew!”

 

“Yeah, cause the equator is… Never mind,” Bruce concluded. _Some science teacher._

 

“Okay. Would you mind showing me around the school sometime?”  
  
“Well, I’m fairly busy around here. I head the department, amongst other things…”

 

“Oh, that’s alright. Apologies,” Thor took a step away and folded his arms. Maintaining respect through direct eye contact was important, but awkwardness began to settle into the conversation, and Thor turned his attention to the window to his left.

 

“I, uh. I bet I could make some time, though,” Bruce added.

 

“Oh?” Thor cocked his head at the teacher in front of him.

 

“Yeah, I can make some time. Usually Principal Fury does that, but I guess I can do it.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Bruce bit the inside of his cheek.

 

Thor went up on his toes and back to his heels again.

 

“So-”

 

“We-”

 

“Sorry,” They said in unison. Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but the school bell rang twice.

 

“What does two rings mean?” Bruce nearly rolled his eyes.

 

“It means five minutes until class starts, Mr…?”

 

“Thor is fine, really.”

 

“Sounds good,” Bruce nodded.

 

“I should probably head to my room then, eh?” Thor remarked as a few students entered the doorway that he left open earlier. He began to walk to the back of the classroom to exit, greeting kids as they walked in - seemingly oblivious as to how they gawked at him. “Hi kids! I’m Thor! Nice to meet you!”

 

And with that, Thor left.

 

“Hello, class. If you didn’t have me for Earth Science last year, my name is Dr. Banner. Seating chart is on my desk. Welcome back to Crawford!”


	2. i get a kick out of you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! please note that i changed bruce from being the head of robotics to being the head of the tech crew because i know much more about theatre so. yes. please enjoy!

**WEEK TWO**

 

Tensions had been high in the Crawford science department during the first week of school.

 

Bruce had successfully delivered on his promise of a tour Friday afternoon, three days after school started. It seemed as though Thor was already familiar with the building at that point due to his  _ own  _ fun facts about different areas of the school, but if he was, he hadn’t said anything. 

 

The weekend was as uneventful as usual for Bruce. He mainly spent his time watching the Great British Baking Show with his cat, prepping for his briefing of the department on Monday. The first meeting of the year was always the hardest, in Bruce’s opinion, as there was almost nothing to brief the teachers on yet. Clubs weren’t starting up yet - the tech for the fall musical (something called  _ Anything Goes _ ?) didn’t even begin until the Friday after his meeting. And, it was difficult to spend the entire meeting going over the basic rules when Thor was the only new kid on the block. 

 

Walking into the department’s lounge at 6:00am, Bruce felt like he had a comfortable structure with him. He was startled to see a bright-faced Thor already sitting at the ready, directly in front of the room, sipping from a foul-smelling thermos. Bruce wrinkled his nose and set his laptop down on the table in front, offering a nod to Thor.

 

“Dr. Banner! Wonderful to see you! How was your weekend?” Thor chirped. He was much too awake for the early hour.

 

“It was fine,” Bruce sighed. “You know, most people arrive at 6:15, when the meeting starts.”

 

“Yes,” Thor smiled. “I’m just excited to be briefed! It’ll make me feel like I really belong, I think.”

 

Bruce nodded, hoping the conversation would end there so he could continue to prep. He pulled up his notes from the meeting, but his eyes were drawn back to Thor, who was gazing at him expectantly. 

 

“How was your weekend?” Bruce gave in.

 

“It was wonderful! I went to a Starbucks by my house after school last week, and the cashier woman gave me a free muffin because I told her I had just moved in! On Saturday, I met an adorable dog on my morning run named Rocket, and - get this - I ran into the pup  _ again  _ on my evening run! On Sunday, my above neighbor was playing piano very loudly and it woke me up. They are very good, so I listened to that while I drank my morning smoothie. Sunday night, I went to the cinema and saw a fantastic film about training cartoon dragons! Have you seen it?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Oh. Well, I highly recommend it.”

 

At that, the three other science teachers at the school entered together, laughing loudly about something or other. Thor grinned at the sight of them and waved them over.

 

“Tony, Steve, Ms. Romanoff! Wonderful to see you this morning!” They sat down next to him. Natasha immediately slid her drink over to Thor, who took a sip and sent it right back. She shook her head.

 

“I told you, Thor, you can call me Natasha,” She smirked and looked to Bruce. “Morning, Bruce.”

 

“Good morning, Nat. How are you?” He smiled, closing his laptop and and straightening up again. 

 

“Doing great. Rogers can’t drive for shit, though.”

 

“I warned you!” Tony yelped, pointing a finger towards Steve. “I should’ve drove like always!”

 

“You sure you weren’t too drunk from the night before?” Bruce laughed. Steve and Natasha joined him.

 

“Please. Just hungover.”

 

“A likely story,” Natasha snorted. Thor looked between the group like it was a game of ping pong, a confused but happy expression on his face.

 

“You know,” Thor leaned over to Steve on his right. “I’ve never seen Dr. Banner smile.”

 

“What?” Tony asked. “Bruce is a little dork! How could he not smile, especially at  _ you _ ?”

 

“Alright, it’s 6:15. Meeting time.” Bruce said, all humor out of his voice and ignoring Natasha’s inquisitive eye-narrowing.

 

Bruce kept it short and sweet. An annoying but, knowing Stark, much needed refresher of which words do not belong in a school environment, followed by a reminder of upcoming Robotics club and school play - the only two extracurriculars that science teachers were involved in, and the end it all, a welcome back to the school they had already been at for manys years/one whole week.

 

“Whoo!” Tony cheered, standing and applauding as Bruce concluded. “Encore! Encore!”

 

“Get to class, Stark, you have students to annoy.”

 

“Do you mean inspire?”

 

“Do you think I meant inspire?”

 

“...”

 

“No, Banner, I don’t believe Tony thought you meant inspire,” Steve jumped in with an amused expression.

 

“Class!” 

 

With that, the four stood and left, Thor walking slightly behind them like a lost puppy. Bruce collected his things and went to his own room already full of exhausted sophomores, greeting them and jumping straight into his lesson on DNA replication.

 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday went without fault. Some classes were harder than others, specifically due to the troublesome kids he had. A sophomore he had never met before was extremely smart but always seemed distracted, and wasn’t afraid to jump in with his own science joke suggestion. 

 

“Parker,” Bruce started on Thursday morning, exasperated. “Your shirt is very funny, but not everyone in the class needs to read it.”

 

“Okay,” Peter pouted, trotting to his desk from where he stood in front of Michelle and sitting down. 

 

“Tell you what,” Bruce relented. “Come see me after class, and you can pick the joke of the day for tomorrow. Sound good?”

 

“Sounds great, Dr. Banner!”

 

Thursday, aside from the jumpy Peter Parker, was also good. His only freshman class was awfully quiet, but he began to see students raise their hands more and more after every passing day. Natasha was apparently going through the exact same situation as Bruce was, so he suspected Rogers was feeling the heat, too. Tony never seemed to have this problem with his all-honors, all-upperclassmen courses. 

 

Lucky bitch.

 

Friday was what got Bruce through the week. Not because it signified the weekend, but because the backstage crew at last got to begin their journey through the set of  _ Anything Goes _ . The fall show, though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, was always his favorite. Freshmen weren’t allowed during the first show, and though he loved working with the new kids, it was great to work with the students he already knew and liked. 

 

The meeting started in Bruce’s room, as the cast was learning their roles on the stage. Instead of sitting in the desks, however, the small group sat in a circle on the dark green carpet, Bruce included.

 

“Welcome back, everyone!” Bruce started, smiling at each and every student that sat around him. “I trust we don’t need to play any name games to get to know each other, but why don’t we just go around the circle and say our names to avoid any potential awkwardness. Let’s start with Ned.”

 

“...Ned.”

 

“MJ.”

 

“Not Michelle?” Bruce asked.

 

“Not Michelle. MJ.”

 

“Sounds good. Next.”

 

“Jason.”

 

“Chris.”

 

“Flash!”

 

“Great, thanks guys. No Liz this year?”

 

“You didn’t hear?” Flash’s eyes went wide. “Liz’s dad went to prison and now her and her mom live in Oregon.”

 

“Flash, you know she doesn’t want that to be public knowledge!” Flash shrugged his shoulders. “Oh! Dr. Banner, I have a question! Can Peter join us? He isn’t a freshman, but he’s never done it before…”

 

“Peter? Wh - Parker? Uh, does he have experience?”

 

“I dunno.”

 

“...Okay, well, tell him he can join regardless.”

 

At that, the door burst open, and all the students twisted towards the source of the noise. A bright-eyed Peter Parker was holding the door open and staring into Bruce’s eyes from across the room. 

 

“You mean it, Dr. Banner? I can join?” 

 

“...Yes?”

 

“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Peter ran in and tapped Ned’s shoulder. Ned took it as a sign to shift away from MJ, and Peter took a seat. He rubbed his hands together with excitement and looked to Bruce. 

 

“Moving along. The base vision for  _ Anything Goes  _ is a huge ship. The details and mechanics of added rooms will be figured out later… By you. I will of course lead you, but I want the decisions to ultimately be chosen by you. What do you think?”   
  


“Sounds great, Dr. Banner!”

 

“Thanks, Peter. Great to have you here.”

 

“Banner, I have afternoons completely free since Thor doesn’t assign homework. Just, if you’re looking for a number 2 guy.” Flash chimed in, leaning back in the heels of his hands to attempt to look nonchalant. 

 

“I’ll keep that in mind, Flash, I’ll…” He paused. “Thor doesn’t assign homework?”

 

“Yeah, he’s great!” Ned said. “He’s so tall, too!”

 

“It’s weird you call him by his first name,” MJ stated. 

 

“Nah, it’s cool!” Flash defended.

 

“Okay, but, he’s  _ so  _ hot. I wish I had him.” Bruce raised an eyebrow at Peter’s statement. “Not that I don’t like you, Dr. Banner!”

 

“Right…” Bruce stood. “I think that’s it for today. Maybe no more talk about how attractive your teachers are, huh? You’re all accused.”

 

The students exchanged a look, but ultimately decided to drop Bruce’s sudden sour mood and leave for the day. Bruce took a seat at his desk and dragged a hand over his face when the door closed. 

 

_ I need to have a word with Principal Fury. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! check out my twitter @heartofvalkyrie and please leave a comment and a kudos!


	3. let’s step out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bruce meets with principal fury and gets a few butterflies.

**WEEK THREE**

 

“Dr. Banner. To what do I owe this honor?” Nick Fury said.

 

Principal Fury was great and terrifying man. He was always dressed in a suit darker than anything Bruce had ever seen - Really, how does a color get that dark? - and it always felt he was staring daggers at you with his one uncovered eye even if you were across the room from him and he was having a conversation with someone else. It wasn’t that Bruce would consider him an unfriendly man, it’s just that he had never seen the man smile or laugh beyond a sarcastic smirk.

 

Bruce had only gathered the courage to enter Principal Fury’s office when his presence wasn’t requested twice in the five years he had worked there. The first time was when a senior in his class was asked out by a junior girl in the room during passing period and he said, as if it was natural, “you’re really great, but I don’t date Asian girls”. Fury informed him it wasn’t quite Principal-necessary, but the boy was removed from Banner’s class nonetheless. That was Bruce’s second year teaching.

 

The second time he entered Fury’s office without permission was when his students wouldn’t shut up about how much they loved Thor Odinson.

 

“Sorry to barge in, Sir, but I really need to speak with you about something,” Bruce said. He hovered around the chair that was pulled away from Fury’s desk, unsure if he should sit or stand out of respect.

 

“Sit, Doctor.”

 

“Yes, okay,” Bruce stumbled, crossing his legs. “I need to talk to you about Mr. Odinson.”

 

“Ah, a great man. Unless… Has he done something wrong?” Fury crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

 

“Yes. Well, no,” Fury raised a single eyebrow. “Um, he’s been… distracting me.”

 

“Dr. Banner, if you’d like, I can refer you to the district’s policies on relationships between teachers, but I assure you that there would be no problem for the two of you to being seeing each other.”

 

“What?! No! I mean, he’s a-attractive, sure, but that’s not…” Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breath to find his grounding. “I meant that my students in class and in the tech crew have been unable to focus on work because they only want to talk about Thor.”

 

Fury pondered this for a moment.

 

“What do you want me to do about that?”

 

Bruce pondered  _ this  _ for a moment. He honestly hadn’t even thought that far ahead. Sure, he wanted it to stop, but the only way it would was if Thor got fired. And Bruce wasn’t the biggest fan of Thor, but he wasn’t a  _ monster. _ He wasn’t going to try to get someone fired. But then he opened his mouth.

 

“I don’t think Thor is competent enough to be a science teacher!” Bruce blurted.

 

“He may not have 7 P.H.d.’s, son, but I’ve seen his credentials. Oxford for four years, spent an extra year studying mythology… I would not have hired Mr. Odinson if I thought he was underqualified. Do I make myself clear?” Fury punctuated his statement by standing. Bruce followed in suit, taking a backwards step away from the desk and towards the door.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“You can show yourself out. Unless there’s any of my other decisions you’d like to comment on?”   
  


“Actually, the school lunch-”

 

“Get out.”

 

“I understand,” Bruce quickly rushed to the door, tripping over his chair in the process. Though he couldn’t see Fury, he felt his eye roll like an arrow through the heart. He closed the office door behind him quickly - just about slamming it - and slopped against the hard wood. Closing his eyes, he bumped his head against it and pushed the sleeves of his grey blazer up.

 

“Are you okay, Dr. Banner?” Bruce sighed upon hearing Thor’s voice in front of him. He stepped away from door and opened his eyes. “You look bad.”

 

“Oh, thanks, Thor,” Bruce frowned. “Just what I needed.”

 

“Sorry!” Thor walked closer to Bruce. “I didn’t mean to offend. You just look like you could use some sleep, is all.”

 

Bruce was torn on Thor. The man seemed nice, and oddly innocent. There was a God-like purity about him, and something about that seemed too good to be true. Thor seemed to have everything going for him, and something about that made Bruce stressed. He was attractive, charming, had a downright  _ heavenly  _ body… Bruce could go on. Once Thor made the comment, though, Bruce saw a new look of genuine concern in his eyes.

 

“Well, maybe…”

 

“It’s Friday, yes? The perfect chance to catch up on sleep!”

 

“That’s not really my thing,” Bruce said. “I’m working on a new thesis, so… That’s pretty much all I do now.”

 

“I see,” Thor went quiet for a moment. “If you have no other plans, though… I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I would love the chance to reintroduce myself to you this weekend. Would it be alright if we go to lunch Saturday? I’d be happy to pay.”

 

Bruce couldn’t help but gape up at the man in front of him. What about him made Thor so insistent on befriending him? It must have been the fact that he was technically in a higher position than him, but there wasn’t much more that Bruce could do as the head of the department. Perhaps it was an ego issue on Thor’s part? A need to please everyone in his life?

 

“Um…” Thor’s eyes brightened in anticipation. “Yes?”

 

“Lovely! Starbucks on Lexington? 11:00?”

 

“Okay, I’ll… Uh… See you then?” Thor nodded and put his hand on Bruce’s shoulder. His breath hitched, and he coughed to cover it up.

 

“Fantastic,” Thor squeezed his shoulder before letting his arm drop. “I’m excited.”

 

Thor walked away, pulling a scarf out of his coat pocket and tying it around his neck in an oddly fancy way. 

 

“Are you positive you don’t want to see the relationship guidelines?” Fury’s voice came from behind him.

 

“Christ! People have to stop sneaking up on me!”


	4. easy to love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> starbucks time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey folks! i hope y'all like in the story so far! ive been home sick this week so writing chapters has been easy, so that may slow down a little bit when im back at school tomorrow. still waiting for someone to recognize why the high school is called crawford... no comic fans in here? anyways. enjoy!

**SATURDAY, WEEK THREE**

 

Bruce had been standing in front of his bedroom mirror for upwards of 20 minutes.

 

He wouldn’t say he was  _ nervous  _ to meet with Thor - He was his boss, and it was a casual brunch. Why would he be? - But something inside his stomach had knotted when he thought about it after waking up. 

 

And then there was choosing an outfit. Should he dress up? Business-casual? Casual-casual? Bruce had tried on sweater after sweater after cardigan, but nothing seemed to fit the tone properly.  _ What to wear when hanging out with a coworker you dislike but also can’t seem to get out of your head?  _ He even tried on a sky-blue sweater that he “borrowed” from an ex a million and one years ago and swallowed him whole.

 

His phone  _ pinged  _ where it sat on his comforter, signifying it was time to leave. Hulk meowed at him obsessively, clawing up his leg to get his attention.

 

“Down, kitty!” Bruce panicked, gently nudging Hulk off his leg and throwing on one of the rejected cardigans that was within arms reach, grabbing his phone, and heading out the door.

 

Thor, as Bruce expected, was already sitting at a booth in the back of the Starbucks when Bruce arrived at 10:54. His eyes must’ve been staring directly at the doors, awaiting Bruce’s arrival, as he was waving at him with both arms as he walked in the double doors.

 

The coffee shop was just as he remembered it from the last time he went there - 12 months? 30? It had been some time. The walls were a boring white, and every chair was a pastel puke green color that were probably meant to match the Starbucks logo colors but really couldn’t have been more different.

 

_ Well. Here we go. _

 

Bruce sat across from Thor in an awfully stiff chair and smiled tightly in response to Thor’s gleeful one. Two coffees were already sat on the table, both steaming and untouched. Bruce pointed to the one closest to him.

 

“Is this for me?” 

 

“Yes! Black with a shot of espresso, right?” Thor questioned. “I see you in the science lounge refilling, like, five times a day.”

 

“Exactly right, actually,” Bruce hesitated. “It’s  _ es _ presso, not  _ ex _ presso. Common mispronunciation.”

 

“Oh. Gotcha,” Thor trailed off, before moving on from the slight bump in the conversation. “So… Do you like dogs?”

 

“I have a cat, actually.”

 

“Cat?” Thor looked like a child on the first morning of Hanukkah. “I love cats! I once dated a woman who owned a cat. Losing the cat was the worst thing about that break-up, if I’m being completely honest. You do backstage work for the shows, correct?”

 

“Yes, I do,” Bruce smirked. “I have been all five years I’ve taught at Crawford. Those kids are incredible, honestly.”

 

“That sounds great! I’ve always loved the theatre. My brother and I would attend quite often when we were children. Do you have any siblings?”

 

“No, I’m an only child.”

 

“I have two. Had two. It’s complicated. I have an adopted brother name Loki. He was disowned by my family, but then he started being kind and we are close brothers once again. I also had a sister, Hela, but… Long story told short, Hela’s in prison now.”

 

“Dear God!”

 

“No, it’s alright,” Thor waved his hand dismissively. “I was never close with her. I had a bit of a falling out with my father, too.”

 

“That might be worse,” Bruce laughed in a huff, unsure of what other reaction would bridge the gap over how awkward he was. “Can I ask you something personal?”

 

Thor nodded eagerly.

 

“How are you so…” Bruce attempted eye contact fitfully, trying to find the right words.

 

“I know how I come off, Dr. Banner,” Thor stepped in. “I’m not a genius like you or Stark. But I like to think I have other redeemable qualities. Maybe it is odd that I am happy most of the time given my struggles, but I suppose serotonin was never an issue with me. That’s… That isn’t to say I’ve never struggled, or that I still don’t, but… If I don’t at least  _ pretend  _ to be happy, then why live at all?”

 

“You’re an open book, too. I’m really sorry, Thor,” Bruce shifted closer to Thor and warmed his hands against his coffee cup. “My father wasn’t the best, either.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Uh,” He stuttered, trying to find the words. “I’m not really comfortable…”

 

“That’s fine, Dr. Banner,” Thor reached across the table with both arms and gripped Bruce’s shoulders, staring at him with a great intensity. “I feel your pain. I have felt your pain in my own life, and I see it in your eyes now. You may come to me with any of your problems, and I will be willing to listen, Doctor.”

 

“Bruce,” He squeaked, his cheeks pink. “You can call me Bruce.”

 

Thor removed his hands from Bruce and took a long chug of the drink in front of him, his serious expression dropping into content. He hummed and set his drink down, noting that it was nearly empty.

 

“Another?” He asked Bruce, walking up to the counter to order two more drinks before Bruce could confirm or deny. This left Bruce alone to reevaluate just about everything he thought he knew about the man he was just sitting with.

 

Bruce was the head of the science department. He ran the tech crew for Crawford High School’s theatre department. He had seven damn P.H.d’s, for Christ’s sake. Yet for some unknown reason, something about Thor rubbed Bruce the wrong way. Everything about him seemed picture-perfect, and yet… 

 

Bruce decided to go through the facts of the situation.

 

  1. Thor was caring
  2. Thor was handsome
  3. Thor was trusted by Fury
  4. Thor’s arms made him want to… 



 

So why could Bruce not bring himself to like the man? Even Tony Stark became his friend right away, and probably less than ten people on Earth liked Tony Stark. But that didn’t refute the fact that Bruce’s chest felt tight when he looked at Thor, and that his throat closed up whenever he touched him.  _ Was he allergic to Thor?  _ He could Google if that was possible later.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Thor sat down, setting Bruce’s refill on the dark table in front of him. “Not to pry, just your face was all scrunched up and you were staring off into space.”

 

“Sorry,” Bruce shook his head, and took a sip and burnt his tongue. “Shit! Ah, God!”

 

“Are you okay?” Thor asked. His tone sounded genuine, but Bruce took one look at Thor’s lips twitching up and knew he was holding back laughter.

 

“You can laugh, I’ll be fine,” Bruce sighed, lips twitching up as well. Thor immediately broke out into a belly laugh, and it was impossible for Bruce not to join him. Their laughter died down after a short moment, and it was when Thor gazed at him with twinkling eyes that Bruce realized just why he felt weird around Thor.

 

His heart felt fuzzy.

 

Thor’s laugh made him grin.

 

A blush rose to his cheeks and the tips of his ears when Thor brushed against him.

 

_ Oh shit. _

 

Thor glanced at the watch on his wrist and frowned.

  
“I actually have to leave. I’m so sorry, but I promised my neighbor I’d watch her pet snake, and I  _ love  _ snakes,” Bruce nodded, his brain still feeling as though it short circuited. They both stood, and before Bruce could make a move to say goodbyes, Thor was pulling him into a bear hug. If Bruce’s head wasn’t reeling before, the smell of Thor’s cologne and the way his rugged arms made him feel safe and small certainly made him feel light-headed. Thor pulled away, grinned one final time, and exited, leaving Bruce baffled and alone in the back of a Starbucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus the realization has begun...


	5. friendship!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thor doodles and peter won't sit the fucc down

**WEEK FOUR**

 

The Monday morning briefing details came to Bruce with ease as he wrote it over the weekend. Having gone through two meetings already in front of his subordinates (Natasha always mentioned what a horrible word to use for your friends whenever Bruce used it in conversation), he had a fairly good idea of what would happen. Thor would arrive second only Principal Fury, Bruce would make stilted, sleepy conversation with him until Tony, Steve, and Natasha stumbled in just seconds before the meeting was intended to start.

 

Because of Tony’s gossip, Bruce knew just what classroom problems he needed to address. Natasha wasn’t following the dress code, Steve needed to stop grading so leniently, and Tony just needed to  _ stop being Tony.  _

 

And then there was Thor.

 

He still had yet to here a single complaint about him, other than his own about how he couldn’t get his mind of Thor when teaching or sleeping or take his eyes off of him when he entered the room, but that wasn’t anything he could blame his colleague for. 

 

This was exactly what he was chastising himself for as he walked up the steps to Crawford’s doors.  _ Stupid amicable Thor. Stupid Principal Fury for making him think about how attractive Thor is. Stupid- _

 

“Bruce!” Thor, standing in front of the entry in a maroon t-shirt and almost matched the color of Bruce’s cardigan exactly. “It is great to see you, both because I enjoy your presence, and because Principal Fury did not unlock the front doors yet and I know you have a key.”

 

“You sure it’s not just the second one?” Bruce smirked. He fished around in his knitted pocket before taking out a small brass key and handing it to Thor to unlock it.

 

“Let’s say 20-80,” Thor chuckled, swinging the door open as he did so. Bruce trotted behind him and followed him down the hallway until Thor stopped halfway so Bruce could catch up to him. The pair made pleasant conversation the rest of the way there - mainly one-sided on Thor’s part - and forced Bruce to push down every emotion inside his body that wasn’t about the sports they played in high school. 

 

Lucky for him, Bruce had absolutely no feelings about sports.

 

They arrived at the lounge, and Thor left Bruce to set up on his own in silence. Well, a silence that was broken every minute or so for Thor to show him a picture of a cute animal or a funny tweet that he couldn’t just scroll past without sharing.

 

The other three teachers entered the room just as Thor was explaining that a turtle in a purple hat reminded him of Bruce, and the meeting was on its way. 

 

It lasted just under 15 minutes, as Steve had multiple follow-up questions and Thor wouldn’t stop chatting with Tony whenever Bruce paused, even if it was just to take a breath. Natasha was out of the door the second he closed his laptop, and Tony and Steve were quick to fill up their empty thermoses with the instant-coffee that was waiting to be made across the room.

 

Thor stood, offering his elbow to Bruce.

 

“Shall we, 129?” Bruce laughed and nudged Thor’s arm with his own, speed-walking away from Thor knowing he’d follow. The loud clicks of his dress shoes behind him signified that Thor was shadowing him, jogging to match Bruce’s fast pace.

 

“Do you mind if I sit with you? Before class starts, I mean?” Thor questioned as they came to their adjacent rooms. Bruce twisted his door knob slowly in thought. Part of him - the logos section of his brain - knew that giving into spending more time with the man that he found himself almost magnetically attracted to was probably not a good thing, as Thor was definitely into women and definitely too good to be true. The pathos in him, however, recognized that there was no way for him to stare at his muscles when he wasn’t around him.

 

“Sure, Thor. So long as you don’t mind me brainstorming corny science jokes,” Bruce said, entering and sitting at his desk.

 

“That should be fine if you don’t mind me doodling with your EXPO markers!” Thor made a dash straight for the whiteboard, sitting criss-cross on the floor and uncapping a hot pink marker. “Any requests?”

 

“Hm,” Bruce looked up from his notes filled with nerdy puns to give his attention to Thor. “A rabbit?”   
  
“Yes, sir!” Thor launched into his drawing. “One pink rabbit, coming up!” 

 

A comfortable quiet engulfed the room, Thor unconsciously humming to himself every couple of minutes. Bruce found a soft smile crept its way upon his face. He was definitely doing a lot more gazing at his (friend? Coworker?  _ Crush _ ?) guest than actual prep. 

 

“Rabbit complete! Do you like it?” Thor beamed at Bruce. The neon drawing was pretty shitty, if Bruce was being honest. It was honestly not even looking like a rabbit at all. Bruce took one look at Thor’s expecting expression and the signature next to his drawing and knew he was much too proud for Bruce to take him down a notch.

 

“It’s great, Thor. Really great,” Thor stood, his knee making a  _ pop  _ noise as he did so, and ruffled Brue’s hair. Bruce, giggled, too concerned with fixing his hair to cringe at the fact that he, a  _ grown-ass man _ , giggled. 

 

“Good morning, Dr. Banner! Oh, Mr. Odinson! Hey!” Peter greeted, walking in and sitting down as Ned and MJ entered the room behind him.

 

“Morning, Dr. Banner,” Ned and MJ said in sync - As they had done every morning since the second week of school. They said it together on accident the first day, but it spiraled into a whole tradition. 

 

“Good morning, kids! Do you like my drawing?” Thor stepped to his doodle and splayed his hands next to it to show it off. After a few moments of no response from the three, Thor brought his arms to his side. 

 

“...It’s a great raccoon, Mr. Odinson,” Ned said. 

 

“Raccoon? It’s a rabbit!” Thor frowned, one of the only genuine showcases of a negative emotion Bruce had ever seen grace his face. Bruce was quick to comfort him, stepping closer and patting him on the back.

 

“Ned was just kidding! It’s a great drawing. Right, guys?” He said pointedly. More and more students were joining them, squinting their eyes at the drawing trying to decipher what it was. Those who caught on to Bruce’s hints nodded, weak smiles appearing on their faces and vague compliments spilling out of their mouths.

 

A light smile brushed upon Thor’s face and he waved, retreating to his own classroom with a low “farewell” to Bruce.

 

Three bells rang, and Bruce quickly jotted “I may be nerdy, but only periodically” on the board. 

 

“Okay,” Bruce projected. “Take your seats, everyone. That means you, Peter.”

 

Peter Parker continued chatting to Flash as if Bruce hadn’t said anything. Chatting was the wrong word - The tips of Peter’s ears were red, was tapping his foot over and over and over again, and jabbing a finger in the other’s face. This was no casual discussion.

 

“Parker,” Bruce frowned. “Sit down, kid.”

 

“Hold on!” Peter cried, while the rest of the students were all squirming in their seats, trying to get a better view of their conversation. “You’ve known me since I was a kid, Flash. You  _ know  _ what that name means to me. If you call me god damn ‘Penis Parker’ one more time, I swear I’ll-”

 

“Mr. Parker! Enough!” Bruce had never had to raise his voice in his classroom before. He had spent years on his own and in therapy trying to work on controlling his anger - mainly out of fear of turning into someone like his father - and he had done a pretty good job. This seemed warranted, though. Peter had at last looked at Bruce, biting the inside of his cheek and clenching his fists at his side. “Alright. Go see Principal Fury.”   
  
“Ha!” Flash laughed.

 

“You too, Thompson. Now.”

 

“But he-”

 

“Go!”

 

The two both did a cross between taking their time walking out of the room to delay the fury of Fury and racing out to get away from Bruce. 

 

“Alright!” Bruce started calmly once they left. “Let’s talk cloning, huh?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew. when one friendship begins, another ends. DAMN


	6. buddie, beware

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tony and bruce have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much brucethor in this chapter, but this shit felt needed.

**FRIDAY, WEEK FOUR**

 

The fourth week of school was the best of the school year so far for Bruce. The start of October always put him in a great mood, as he had always loved the leaves changing and the specialty drinks at assorted coffee shops. But that wasn’t the only thing that put him in a good mood.

 

Thor started spending so much time in Bruce’s room that by Wednesday, he brought in a chair from the lounge so he could sit more comfortably while drawing or distracting Bruce with some inane story about his brother slowly stealing his school lunch every single day in the fourth grade. Bruce left his room unlocked for Thor to wait for him in the mornings. Maybe it was dangerous, but Bruce hadn’t even gone on a date in years and hey. It was nice to pretend that he had a sweet and strong boyfriend who knew how he took his coffee and put his hair up when he was especially focused on something.

 

When Bruce got to school on Friday, he was greeted with Thor, still wearing a short-sleeved tee despite it being 50 degrees outside, carrying a bag with a Starbucks logo on the front, standing outside the door of his classroom.

 

“Hello, Thor. Sorry, did I lock the door last night? Habit, I guess,” he frowned, digging into his coat pocket to see if he brought his key. Thor grabbed his arm, stilling it.

 

“No, no. I was told to wait out here. Tony is inside.” Thor furrowed his brow. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

 

“I have to teach in there,” Bruce laughed. “I’m not scared of Tony. Guy’s a big softie.”

 

“If you say so. Oh!” Thor opened the bag he was holding and took out a muffin. “I got you a muffin! I hope you like blueberry. You seem like a blueberry kind of man,”

 

Bruce accepted the muffin, peeling the wrapper off as soon as it was in his hand. 

 

“Thanks, I skipped breakfast this morning. What’s the occasion?” Thor’s face was confused when Bruce looked up at him. Not with Bruce, but it seemed as if it was with himself.

 

“No occasion. I was just thinking of you, I guess?” Thor said. He nodded slightly, confirming his own statement. Bruce did the same, unable to stop a smile from spreading across his face.

 

“Thanks, Thor. Really,” Bruce opened his door. “I outta head in. See you at lunch?”

 

“Of course! Good luck in there.”

 

Tony was sitting in Bruce’s chair, his arms folded tightly and his sunglasses on despite being indoors. Bruce, not sure what to do, sat down in Thor’s chair in front of his friend - who, to be frank, wasn’t looking at him like a friend would.

 

“Have a good chat with your boyfriend?” Tony asked.

 

“Uh… Can I help you, Tony?”

 

“Yes, you can,” he leaned forward, getting uncomfortably close to Bruce’s face. “You can start by explaining just what the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“Excuse me?” Bruce sputtered.

 

“Why would you embarrass Peter like that in class on Monday?” 

 

“I don’t… He was distracting the class and threatening a student. Of course I disciplined him!” Bruce tried to be confident, but he knew he came off as frightened and defensive.

 

“Do you know why?” Bruce shrugged. “Flash wouldn’t stop calling him Penis Parker,” Tony spat the crude nickname out like it was a curse.

 

“So? I hear a thousand dumb nicknames like that a day, Tony.”

 

“You don’t get it!” Tony stood, point his finger in Bruce’s face much like he saw Peter doing to Flash. “I’m telling you this because I trust you and because I care, but Peter is transgender. That nickname means…”

 

“Oh…” Bruce sighed. “God, well. I get it, now. I’ve had my fair share of offensive nicknames pointed my way in school. Shit.”

 

“Good. You should feel bad.” 

 

“Huh.”

 

“I didn’t mean that. I just… Be nice to the kid, okay? He’s had it rough.”

 

“Why do you even care, Tony? Since when do you care about  _ my  _ students?”

 

“He’s my son, dumbass.”

 

Bruce’s jaw dropped. He’d known Tony for years. They’d hung out together outside of school on  _ many  _ occasions. Bruce had spent the night on Tony’s couch before, for Christ’s sake. Bruce thought he was observant enough to at least notice an entire human, but apparently not.

 

“That’s… something I definitely have questions about for a later time, but I can’t give him special treatment just because he’s your kid. You have to understand that!”

 

“What if someone made fun of you being gay, and Principal Fury said you had to just take it?”

 

“I’d quit.”

 

“Exactly! But Peter can’t quit school! And I didn’t sort of raise him to not defend himself,” Tony finished with a huff. Bruce pursed his lips and nodded. Tony took of his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, scribbled “One tectonic plate bumped into another and said, ‘Sorry, my fault.’” on the board before leaving, just as two bells rang.

 

Bruce rested his elbows on the desk and put his face in his hands, mumbling profanities into his palms just as Thor walked in.

 

“How’d it go? I heard yelling,” he said, leaning against the desk next to Bruce.

 

“Terribly. Did you know Tony had a son?”

 

“Ah yes! Peter Parker! We are Facebook friends,” Thor said. “He’s a great kid.”

 

“Yeah, well, I didn’t know. I sent him to see Fury the other day, and I just got my ass eaten by Tony.”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Handed to me! Christ, sorry, I’m a little… Razzled, right now.”

 

Thor laughed, putting his hand on Bruce’s shoulder. Bruce, at that, drew his face from where his hands and glanced at Thor. 

 

“It will be okay, Bruce. Tony likes you very much. And if he know longer does, then just know that I like you very much as well. You will bounce back from this with ease,” Thor comforted, a tender smile directed towards him. Bruce had to look away, the kindness giving him a stomach ache. “Class is starting soon, and those juniors aren’t going to teach chemistry to themselves. Have a good day, Bruce.”

 

It wasn’t until class started that Bruce noticed a phone number written on his whiteboard in neon green pen with a lopsided signature next to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is thor feeling the same as bruce? are tony and bruce still friends? who knows! i do! also peter is tony's trans son BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!!!!!


	7. what a joy to be young

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some more tech crew (with it's usual bullying of bruce) and some flirty-adjacent texting from our favorite boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in which another group of people begins waiting for bruce and thor to get together.

**FRIDAY AFTER SCHOOL, WEEK FOUR**

 

_ Anything Goes,  _ though started off rocky, had really picked up course. The kids all had come up to Bruce several times a rehearsal with some odd idea or another about something to add to the set. Bruce spent his time jotting them down, attempting to find a way to piece them all together without any contradictions, while his students worked hard on constructing the stage-wide boat.

 

“Things with Asalah are great. She’s so hot,” Flash bragged out of the blue. He looked around at his peers, waiting for someone to comment.

 

“No one cares,” MJ responded, not taking her eyes off the section of wood she was painting blue. Ned laughed, holding his hand up to her for a high-five. When she ignored him, Peter, who was refilling MJ’s paint pan, met Ned’s hand with his own to save him from embarrassment. If he spilled some sky blue on Bruce’s carpet, well, Bruce certainly  _ didn’t see it.  _

 

“What we should  _ really  _ be talking about is Dr. Banner’s love life,” Ned sat back on his shins and looked to Bruce at his desk, who had effectively tuned out of their sophomore nonsense. 

 

“What? That’s not appropriate!” Bruce said, tossing his legal notebook on his desk. As much as he protested, he recognized that they would absolutely not let this go until they had answers. Not that he even had anything to say on the subject.

 

“You should tell that to whoever left their number on your board,” Peter grinned. Bruce blushed, getting up and erasing Thor’s number with the sleeve of this jacket hastily.

 

“It was Mr. Odinson,” MJ said, matter-of-factly. 

 

“What?” Peter yelped, poking her in the shoulder. “How do you know that?”

 

“He signed his name, Peter.”

 

“You could read that chicken scratch?”

 

“Dr. Banner, is that true?” Ned asked. 

 

“Uh, no?”

 

“Wow. You should never play poker,” Flash laughed.

 

“Okay, fine. It was Thor. Mr. Odinson, I mean. But… We’re friends, not anything…”

 

MJ raised an eyebrow at him, continuing the strokes of her paintbrush even as she stared at Bruce. 

 

“Whatever. Practice is over. Everyone go home.”

 

“We still have 20 minutes left, Dr. Banner!” Peter smiled, feigning innocence. 

 

“No. We’re done. Bye, everyone, I’ll clean up.” Bruce said playfully. When no one moved, he frowned. “No, really, get out.”

 

Courage was the hardest feeling to build up. 

 

Bruce had never been the bravest guy in the bunch for this exact reason. Though putting an emotional shield over himself was useful for getting work done and avoiding discussions with strangers, the invisible layer between himself and the outside world made him… Lonely. It was almost as if he needed an indescribable amount of courage to gain courage to do anything else. The whole thing gave Bruce a headache.

 

The weekend’s new tradition seemed to account for Bruce feeding Hulk, making himself tea, and having multiple anxiety attacks over Thor in one shape or form.

 

Bruce had experienced many crushes in his day. Two serious college boyfriends, what he thought was a crush on Natasha Romanoff, and one child-like crush on the cute man who walked his dog past his apartment complex twice seemed like a good rap sheet, at least to him. 

 

Thor was different, though. While other men Bruce appreciated were calming and sweet, Thor was electric. And yes, he was one of the nicest people Bruce had ever met. Thor was always on the move, always ready to grab a beer or wrap someone into a hug. Thor was everything, every beautiful quality Bruce had encountered wrapped into one.

 

It stressed him out more than trying to figure out if he should text Thor or not as he sat on the edge of his bed, two hours after he ended the rehearsal.

 

Thor must have wanted him to text or call. Why else would have left his number?

 

“Fuck it,” Bruce muttered under his breath, flopping onto his back and holding his phone above his face. He fumbled for his phone to his left, patting the mattress randomly until his hand hit his phone. When it came to actually messaging, Bruce was hesitant, but he had started class late to create Thor’s contact the moment he saw the number.

 

Bruce pulled it up then, allowing himself to admire Thor’s teeny-tiny photo he got off the school website for just a few extra seconds before beginning to type.

 

_ Hey!! _

 

No. Too excited.

 

_ Hey. _

 

Too boring. Shit.

 

_ Hi, Thor, it’s Bruce. _

 

That could work. He clicked send. All he needed was a reason for texting, the realization that he hadn’t thought of one hitting him hard. Bruce relaxed himself by deciding that Thor would probably not respond for maybe even a few hours, as it was only 11:00am, and Thor could very well be not a morning person on the weekends.

 

**thor, 7:45pm**

_ BRUCE! good morning! how are you today! _

 

So, Thor was just as energetic on Saturday mornings as he was Mondays. 

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:48pm**

_ I’m doing well. You? _

 

The read receipt showed up under Bruce’s message immediately. A small sense of pride blossomed in Bruce’s stomach.  _ Was he really all that interesting? Surely not interesting enough to be staring at your phone and awaiting his reply. He surely wasn’t as interesting as Thor.  _ The thought crossed his mind, and he quickly changed his settings so Thor wouldn’t see him doing the same.

 

**thor, 7:48pm**

_ im GREAT. but must you always be so formal?  _

 

Bruce smirked.

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:51pm**

_ Yes. You’re lucky I’m not sending citations in MLA format. _

 

His phone pinged immediately.

 

**thor, 7:51pm**

_ 8th edition? _

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:52pm**

_ Obviously. _

 

**thor, 7:52pm**

_ classic banner _

 

**thor, 7:52pm**

_ free tonight? _

 

Bruce dropped his phone on his face. He groaned in pain, picking it up and frowning when he saw his “response”.

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:53pm**

_ fjkdslafns _

 

**thor, 7:53pm**

_ ckdnacldksf _

 

Bruce was more confused than he ever had been around Thor before.

 

**thor, 7:54pm**

_ is that a yes _

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:55pm**

_ Sure, what did you have in mind? _

 

**thor, 7:55pm**

_ have u heard of mac’s tavern _

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:56pm**

_ That’s a block away from my house. I walk past it all the time. _

 

**thor, 7:56pm**

_ great! wanna meet there in a half hour? _

 

Bruce hated bars. The alone drunk people made him sad, and the drunk friend groups were way too loud. 

 

**Bruce Banner, 7:57pm**

_ Yes. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting into the REAL brucethor action NEXT CHAPTER!! y'all ain't ready!


	8. all through the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys get some drinks together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have fun!

**FRIDAY NIGHT, WEEK FOUR**

 

The last time Bruce went out on a Friday night was in 2016.

 

Him and Natasha were together at the time, which had been the worst romantic decision ever made by either of them. Bruce knew he was gay in high school, still knew it in college, and doubted it when he met Natasha, a woman who was so objectively hot that he questioned the one part of his identity he was sure about. It turned out, after their month of dating, that Bruce was merely a victim of internalized homophobia. Such is life. 

 

Natasha was a very different person than Bruce. He hated parties, hated socializing with drunks, and hated having sex with women. Natasha, as he learned very quickly, loved all of those things. Though she refused to tell him the name of her girlfriend, they seemed to be very happy together.

 

Going on dates with her was a nightmare because of their differences, though. Natasha always wanted to go to clubs, and Bruce always wanted to make her happy, so he told her that clubs made him happy, too. Bruce didn’t even drink.

 

They broke up at a club downtown.

 

Bruce had been leaning against the back wall for thirty minutes sipping a Diet Coke alone when Natasha walked up to him, looked him dead in the eyes, and said “we’re breaking up. We aren’t happy. See you Monday,” and walked away. Bruce had never been happier.

 

For such a smart and opinionated man, Bruce really seemed to have a habit of going along with whatever an attractive person near him said.

 

Bruce found Thor at the bar, already leaning against it with a dopey grin on his face and two colorful drinks in his hand. He took a deep breath and approached him.

 

“Bruce!” Thor said loudly to be heard over the music. “How are you! You look fantastic!” 

 

“Oh boy, have you already been drinking?” Bruce laughed, embracing the warmth of Thor’s presence.

 

“Yes!” Thor handed him one of the drinks. “Catch up!”

 

“Oh, I don’t…” Thor was gazing at him with excitement, like every word Bruce said was the most mind-blowing thing in the galaxy. “Thanks,” he settled on. Nothing wrong with one drink.

 

A woman with dark brown hair walked up to the bar then. She ordered two strawberry margaritas, and then turned to her phone.

 

“Hi,” Thor smiled at her. “I’m Thor. You are…?”

 

“Valkyrie,” She nodded. The bartender handed her her drinks and she took a sip out of one.

 

“That’s a beautiful name! Are you alone here tonight?”

 

“Oh, sorry. You’re, uh, not my type,” Bruce, who had shuffled away a few steps awkwardly, expected Thor to be upset. A trademark Thor grin spread across his face, however, and he gestured his drink towards Bruce.

 

“That’s alright! Is he your type?”

 

“Oh, Thor, I’m not…” Bruce mumbled.

 

“Sorry, kiddo,” Valkyrie pointed to a woman in a white dress standing by the door. “She’s my type.”

 

“Oh! Great! Want me to talk you up?” Thor clapped his hands together. Valkyrie raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down, probably trying to decipher his intentions.

 

“Sure, that sounds good, I guess,” Thor winked at her before setting off to chat with the other woman. Bruce suddenly felt a sense of awkwardness wash over him, and he leaned against the bar where Thor had just stood.

 

“Who are you?” Bruce jumped, startled, forgetting she was there.

 

“Bruce.”

 

“Sounds good. Is Thor your friend?”

 

“Yeah, we work together. It’s… Yeah,” Bruce scratched the back of his head with one hand and brought his vaguely-pineapple drink to his lips with the other.

 

“You into him?”

 

Bruce choked on his drink. He set it down on the bar and coughed, pounding his chest hard with his fist. 

 

“Is it that obvious?” Bruce asked when he calmed down, his voice tight.

 

“Yes,” Valkyrie said matter-of-factly. “That’s my cue, I think,” Thor and the woman were both staring at Valkyrie in silence, Thor waving her over. 

 

“If it helps, it looks like he’s into you, too,” Valkyrie left Bruce alone then, giving him a lot to think about and a horrible headache.

 

“They would be a wonderful pair!” Thor exclaimed, walking up to Bruce and clinking glasses with him. “That woman has the most interesting career, but she is a Virgo, and I think Valkyrie would match with that very-”

 

“I’m gay,” Bruce forced out. Thor was clearly startled, and his face showed something Bruce didn’t quite understand - fear? - before he was back to his normal self.

 

“Wonderful! My, uh, my brother Loki is gay. Or pan. He likes men, at least. Want me to give you his number?”

 

“Sure?” Bruce handed him his phone and Thor began typing into it. “Just, so you don’t try to, uh, set me up with any women. I don’t want that. So. Yes. One vodka, please?” Bruce turned to the bartender in a panic. If he’s gonna drink, he might as well go all out.

 

“On my tab,” Thor added.

 

“You don’t have to…” Bruce coughed awkwardly. “Thanks.”

 

The bartender, who Bruce now realized had a name tag reading “Kyle”, set the vodka down. Bruce clutched it and led it slide down his throat. When he set it down, Thor was staring at him judgmentally for the first time in the month or so Bruce had known him.

 

“Do you have a really high tolerance?” Thor asked warily, edging the glass away from Bruce a bit despite it being empty.

 

“Don’t think so!” Bruce sighed. Thor bit his lip in thought, and then nodded.

 

“Okay,” Thor pushed Bruce’s shoulder playfully, though it was a bit harder than he probably meant it to be. “Okay! Kyle! Good sir! Shots for us, please!” 

 

“Shots of what?” Kyle asked, clearly exasperated and exhausted. 

 

“Vodka!”

 

“Maybe we cool it on the vodka? Surprise us, Kyle!”

 

Kyle stared Thor down, not breaking eye contact as he poured straight vodka into four shot glasses and pushing them towards Bruce.

 

“I said no vodka,” Thor frowned.

 

“Surprise,” Kyle walked away.

 

“Shots!” Bruce yelled. He picked two shot glasses up and clinked then together before attempting to drink them at the same time, spilling some down his shirt.

 

“Whoa, Bruce. A  _ really  _ low tolerance. I think you need to get home,” Bruce nodded.

 

“Fine. I have wine at home from when Natasha and I were together,” Thor shook his head, confused and put his arm around Bruce to guide him to the front exit.

 

“I thought you said you were gay?”

 

“It’s complicated! Don’t worry about it!” Thor just laughed, pulling Bruce in a little closer.

 

The October air was cool at 9:43pm. Bruce smiled to himself, enjoying being exposed to the fresh air after being uncomfortably close to strangers in the stuffy pub. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against Thor’s shoulder as they walked. Thor said something, low, and Bruce hummed.

 

“Bruce,” Thor said when he got no response. “Where do you live, hon?”

 

Bruce couldn’t tell if his drunk brain imagined the pet name or not. 

 

“Mm, that one there,” Bruce pointed to a grey apartment building just a few yards ahead of them. “Can we skip?”

 

“You’re funny like this,” Thor chuckled, beginning to skip to appease Bruce. “I like drunk Bruce.”

 

“I like… Thor,” Thor laughed again and brought him into the building, skip-free.

 

“Elevator’s in the bad. The bad. The back!” Bruce began to take control, placing his arm around Thor’s waist and pulling him towards the doors. He grabbed Thor’s hand and pressed the button for the third floor with his friend’s finger. “Teamwork!”

 

“We did it!” Thor held up his hand for a high five, and Bruce met it with his fist.

 

The elevator doors dinged and opened, revealing the hallway with dark blue walls and caramel carpeting.

 

“Quite the color scheme…” Thor muttered under his breath. Bruce broke away from Thor to open his apartment door, instantly flopping down onto the couch when they entered. Thor closed the door lightly, trying to respect Bruce’s neighbors, and sat down on the couch by Bruce’s head. 

 

Bruce turned onto his back, shuffling up and putting his head on Thor’s leg, to gaze up at him. 

 

“Hello!” Bruce said. “You’re too bright,” he draped his arm over his eyes, blocking his vision.

 

“The light is off, Bruce,” Thor giggled. Bruce loved that sound. He turned over again and slid his knees up, tucking them underneath himself.

 

“No,  _ you’re  _ bright,” Bruce breathed. “Your hair and your eyes and you-your big smile…”

 

“Yeah?” Thor said softly, a sweetness in his voice. “You’re the same way, hon.”

 

Bruce couldn’t have been imagining it that time. 

 

And he  _ definitely  _ didn’t imagine the way Thor’s eyes flickered down to his lips, so close to his own that he could feel his breath against his chin. 

 

“Thor?” Bruce whispered, gripping the side of Thor’s shirt in his hand.

 

“Bruce?”

 

Courage wasn’t hard to build up when you’ve had vodka shots.

 

Bruce leaned in, slowly. Their noses brushed, and-

 

“I think I need to go home!” Thor stood from the couch and brushed his hands on his pants. “I-I need to… You should call my brother. Drink some water.”

 

“Thor, wait, I’m sorry!”

 

The door slammed behind him, and Bruce was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao sorry


	9. goodbye, little dream, goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bruce can't help but create conflict and his friends are nosy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, miscommunication.... a tragic thing.....

**WEEK FIVE**

 

Maybe it wasn’t the most professional idea in the world, but Bruce felt no remorse for having Steve fill in for him for the Monday briefing. Bruce needed the extra twenty minutes of sleep badly after Friday night. 

 

After Thor left, Bruce spent a respectable amount of time drinking a mediocre rosé straight out of the wine bottle and weeping into the fur of Hulk. Saturday, he woke up late and spent the entire day watching West Wing on his phone despite having a television ten feet away from his bed. Sunday, however, he decided to text Loki. It was just a cat emoji but it was a good first step in Bruce’s horribly unqualified opinion.

 

Monday, Bruce told himself, was going to be the day he officially moved on from his crush. Part of him was pissed at Thor for leading him on, but when Bruce really analyzed their relationship… Perhaps it was all Bruce’s imagination mixed with alcohol.

 

It was halfway through the episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy he turned on for his homeroom students when he got a call from the principal requesting him to come to his office at once. 

 

He left the remote with MJ, fully accepting that something not school-related would wind up on the room’s screen no matter who he left it with. 

 

Seeing Thor sitting across from Principal Fury was a better way to wake Bruce up than tea or coffee ever would be. His students were right - he wore his heart on his sleeve, and all over his face. Bruce’s eyes went wide, but he took the seat next to him quickly.

 

“You, uh, wanted to see me, Sir?”

 

Fury looked between the two. Bruce was red and tapping his foot anxiously, while Thor was obsessively messing with his hair.

 

“Look. I don’t know what happened here, and as long as it doesn’t affect your job performance, I’m happy to say I don’t give a shit. Anyways. Dr. Banner, Mr. Odinson here has expressed some interest to me in the tech crew for the performing arts department.”

 

“What?” Bruce whipped his head towards Thor. “Thor,  _ what _ ?!” 

 

“Wait, Bruce, it’s not what you-”

 

“You’re trying to take my job? You know how much I love running that crew! Why on Earth would you want to try to take that away from me?”

 

“I-”

 

“Is this because of-”

 

“No, Bruce-!”

 

“Yeah, well, there’s no way in  _ hell  _ I’m letting you do this to me,  _ or  _ to those kids. I’ve worked my ass of for them. I have earned my position there,” Bruce stood, clenching his fists at his sides.

 

“Bruce, really, I’m not trying to - You just made it sound so fun, and - I wouldn’t ever want to take that from you, and-”

 

“Then why are you?” Bruce yelled.

 

“Calm down, Dr. Banner!” Principal Fury stood too, leaning on his desk towards his subordinates. 

 

“Sorry, sir,” Bruce stared at Thor coldly. “Fuck you, Odinson.”

 

Bruce had gathered up the courage to leave Principal Fury’s office without been dismissed only once in the five years he had worked there. 

 

And hell, if it didn’t feel great.

 

When Bruce woke up Tuesday morning, though, it no longer felt great.

 

Dread and guilt filled Bruce up to the brim all throughout his breakfast, his walk to Crawford High, and especially when he arrived to his empty room. Part of him knew it was silly to leave his class door unlocked overnight, as there was no way Thor would want to speak to him after he  _ literally  _ cursed him out. 

 

But he did it anyways. Just in case.

 

It was clear Thor had been there, however. All dry-erase artwork was gone, and the chair stolen from the lounge was missing. It felt like there was a rock sinking down deep into his stomach. Bruce opened his laptop and sat down at his desk, deciding it would be best to focus on work instead of his crumbling relationships that threatened his safety and happiness at every turn.

 

“Morning, Dr. Banner. Morning, Mr. Odin - Oh,” Ned and MJ said in unison as they came into the room.

 

“Where’s Mr. Odinson?” Peter asked, trailing in right after his best friends.

 

“His classroom, I assume,” Bruce said, a bit more snippy than usual.

 

Bruce made a point of ignoring the look his three students shared, a combination of confusion and melancholy - Which was ignorant, on their part, as it wasn’t any of their business.

 

_ They’re not ignorant, Bruce, they’re your 15-year-old students.  _

 

“Did you guys break up?” Peter stage whispered. “And where’s your daily joke?”

 

“No, Peter, we weren’t dating! Christ!” Ned and Peter were gawking at him, shocked. Bruce rubbed his hands over his eyes until he saw spots. “I’m so sorry, Peter. I have to get out of here.”

 

Bruce grabbed his phone out of his laptop bag and exited, making a beeline for the lounge as two bells rang. Everyone would be in class, greeting their students in a  _ normal way _ , and he could let out the tears that had somehow found their way to his eyes.

 

He pushed open the door and sat down at one of the circular metal tables. He folded his arms on the cold surface and buried his face in them, his whole body shaking as he cried.  _ Pathetic.  _

 

“Bruce?” Came a gentle voice from the other side of the room. Bruce stilled, but refused to look up. This was an embarrassment he wasn’t willing to face. The  _ click click click  _ of heels approached him until a small hand landed on his shoulder. “Look at me, Bruce.”

 

Bruce did.

 

Natasha Romanoff had always been a severe and dreadfully intimidating woman. One stern look from her could make your body freeze from the inside out. In this moment, however, her eyes had softened, and her lips were pulled into a tight frown.

 

“Talk to me,” She sat in the chair next to him - Thor’s chair, he realized. “Is this about Thor?”

 

“You knew about that?” Bruce asked, straightening his posture and wiping his eyes with his forearm.

 

“He told us yesterday. I’m really sorry.”

 

“Yeah, well, this is what I get for trying to kiss him. Of course he’s coming after my job now,” Bruce sighed.

 

“Whoa, what?” Natasha yelped. “He’s doing  _ what _ ?”

 

“That’s what I said! But I thought he told you that?”

 

“No, he just said you had a falling out! Jesus, Bruce!”

 

“Yeah, well, I have a date with his brother tomorrow.”

 

Natasha facepalmed, which was something Bruce had never seen someone that wasn’t a cartoon duck do. She then grabbed his hands and squeezed them tightly, peering into his eyes with a fierce intensity.

 

“Let me get this straight. You want to get with this man, but he rejected your kiss and wants your job. So now you’re going fuck his brother?”

 

“No!” Bruce batted her hands away. “I’m trying to move on!”   
  


“Getting with his  _ brother  _ is the  _ opposite  _ of moving on, Bruce,” Natasha rolled her eyes.

 

“You don’t get it! I really like him, and he clearly doesn’t like me, but… I don’t know. I can’t help myself but want to be close to him,” Fresh tears began to well up just as the lounge door opened.

 

“Oh, I’m…” Thor stood uncomfortably, holding a presumably empty coffee mug in hand, taking in the scene before him. “Are you… Sorry,” Thor left suddenly, leaving Natasha and Bruce as they were.

 

“Oh my god, that was so degrading. Mercy kill me, Nat. I know you know how,” Bruce groaned.

 

“You know what I think, Doc?” Tony said, entering from the supply closet attached to the common space.

 

“Were you here this whole time?”

 

“Oh, yeah. We came in together,” Natasha nodded.

 

“I think,” Tony repeated, sitting on the other side of Bruce. “That you need to fuck his brother.”

 

“No! Bruce, don’t listen to him. Listen to me, your wise and beautiful friend.”

 

“I am  _ also  _ wise and beautiful,” Tony smirked, patting Bruce’s hand twice. “And I think you owe me one after what you did to my kid.”

 

“Oh, god, that whole thing. Nat, did you know he has a kid?”

 

“Yeah, Peter. He’s a Gemini. I took him out to ice cream once when I babysat.”

 

“What the hell…”

 

“But that isn’t the point, Bruce. The point is that you should either talk to Thor honestly, or move on with someone that  _ isn’t  _ Thor’s brother. I hear Steve is single,”

 

“Steve is dating Barnes, Nat, they were just at Pepper’s wedding together,” Tony shook his head. “You need to have revenge sex with Loki, Doc. It’s the only way.”

 

“Okay, I am  _ not  _ having…” Bruce sighed. “I think I’m gonna have sex with Thor’s brother.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“God damn it, Bruce.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tune in next chapter where a certain chaotic character makes an appearance...
> 
> also idk if it's funny to anyone else but every character being close with peter except for bruce is so fucking funny to mefjgaksf


	10. let’s misbehave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this bitch is here now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like the chapter! loki is... a Lot

**FRIDAY, WEEK FIVE**

 

Bruce was not going to have sex with Thor’s brother after all.

 

It wasn’t that Loki wasn’t attractive, it was just that Bruce had been picturing a carbon copy of Thor, except even taller and even more gorgeous. Thor had shown him pictures of himself and his father before, all light hair and hard features that could easily melt in a smile when complimented or when told a joke.

 

When they met up at the Starbucks on Lexington, Bruce had a hard time believing Loki was related to Thor at all. Loki’s hair was a deep raven color, and was wearing ripped jeans of the same color with a t-shirt that said something in a language Bruce had never studied. 

 

“Bruce Banner, yes?” Loki asked, sitting down across from where Bruce had already been working on his thesis for the last forty minutes. 

 

“...Yeah, that’s me. Are you Loki?” Bruce closed his laptop and slid it off the table and onto the floor as Loki nodded. “You recognized me?”

 

“My brother has shown me pictures. He speaks very highly of you.”

 

Loki’s voice should have been calming. It danced like silk, all smooth and even and delicate. But there was something about the way his words landed that put Bruce on edge. He seemed untrustworthy.

 

“That’s… Nice,” Bruce decided on. “Can I get you something?” 

 

Loki looked around, scrunching his nose up at the decor.  

 

“No,” he laughed. Bruce couldn’t tell if it was directed at him or the company (maybe both?). “That’s quite alright.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Alright.”

 

A cramped silence fell, and Bruce resisted the urge to scroll through his phone to avoid the unsettling feeling in his chest.

 

“I’m told you are involved with the theatre at your school?”

 

“Ha. Yeah,” Bruce scoffed. “For now.”

 

“...Alright. I do theatre. As a performer.”

 

Bruce hated the way he said “theatre”. Loki pronounced the ‘a’ - emphasized it, even. It made Bruce’s skin crawl. When Bruce did nothing but nod, Loki carried on the conversation on his own.

 

“I studied at the Royal College of Music. One of 700 students there,” Loki grinned, rather smugly.

 

“Ah. I went to Harvard.”

 

Loki studied Bruce for a moment. He tapped his fingers on the wood as he thought, his painted nails clicking rhythmically every time they landed. After a few uncomfortable moments of Bruce avoiding his eyeline, Loki sighed and intertwined his hands.

 

“You’re in love with my brother, aren’t you?”

 

“What?! No, I -  _ love  _ is a strong - we’re not-!” Bruce stuttered out in defense.

 

“No, no,” Loki groaned. “It’s  _ always  _ about my brother. He tries to set me up with his friends, his coworkers, strangers he meets on the sidewalk… They’re always trying to get to him. Unleash the floodgates, Banner.”

 

Bruce was at a loss for words. 

 

Maybe Loki was a witch?

 

He certainly dressed like one.

 

“There’s nothing to tell,” Bruce frowned.

 

Loki huffed, amused. 

 

“My brother also told me you fought.”

 

“Yes. He’s trying to take my job. The tech crew, remember?”

 

“Beg your pardon?” Loki squinted at him.

 

“Thor told our Principal that he wanted to take over the tech crew. Forgive me for being pissed,” Bruce felt his blood run hot, and he stilled his tapping foot after realizing he was doing it.

 

“He’s trying to…” Loki shook his head and chuckled to himself. “I think you should send him a call, Banner. Give him a chance, eh?” 

 

Bruce contemplated this. He really had nothing to say to Thor. Well, he had a million things he’d love to say to Thor, which he would if Thor liked him back and if Bruce was even a little brave, but none of them were job-related.

 

“Thor is a lot. He makes me feel a multitude of emotions all at once, and it makes the neurons in my brain freak out. He’s beautiful.”

 

Loki’s phone went off.

 

“Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear!” Loki unlocked his phone and grinned. “Thor’s asking how it’s going. What would you like me to say?”

 

“Uh…” 

 

“Want to make him jealous?” Loki grabbed Bruce’s hand from where it rested on the table and tangled their fingers before he could reply. He snapped a picture on his phone of the joined hands, dropping Bruce’s as soon as the deed was done. “‘Going pretty well, I think. Winky face.’ There. Sent,” Loki read as he typed.

 

“Why would you-”

 

“Ha! He sent back a smiley face! Oh boy, is he covetous!”

 

Bruce raised his eyebrows. It seemed as if Loki knew what he was doing after all.

 

“You do this a lot, then?”

 

“What, go on dates?” Loki locked his phone and set it down, screen up.

 

“No, I mean, set people up with Thor,” Bruce said bashfully. 

 

“Rarely. What usually happens is they flirt with me, ask a million annoying questions about Thor, and then either give up or sleep with me,” Loki halted. “Do you want to?”

 

“Sleep with you? No, that’s okay,” Bruce mumbled. “How come you’re helping me, then?”

 

Loki beamed - which, though Bruce had only known him for a short time, didn’t think was possible.

 

“I like you, Banner,”

 

“Okay, um, thanks, but I’m still not going to have se-”

 

“No, Banner. Listen to me. You and my brother would make a good pair, don’t you agree?”

 

“I don’t know,” Bruce sighed. “He probably deserves someone with less anger issues and more… height.”

 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Doctor. You are his treasure.”

 

Loki stood and pushed in his chair. His phone rang, and he winked at Bruce, answering the call and walking away.

  
“The date was marvelous, brother. No, I - You’re  _ where _ ? I’m on my way. I’m not doing Get Help, though!” The door swung shut behind Loki, and once again, an Odinson had abandoned Bruce in a mist of confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey folks! just a lil announcement: there will NOT be a chapter tomorrow. I was going to have two more chapters, but my friend @dannysexbean told me their idea for a much more climactic plot, and i will now be doing that. i did have the next chapter done, but now i need to restructure. so. good news: longer story! bad news: no chapter for a day or two. thanks!


	11. be like the bluebird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bruce and thor aren't great at teamwork when bruce won't give him the time of day and peter parker deserves the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter probably won't be up until sunday at the earliest. sorry for the slowing down! end of the school year is getting to me. TW for mentions of child abuse in this chapter. love you loads!

**MONDAY, WEEK SIX**

Bruce considered swearing off dating, but it was probably easier to swear off talking to people all together. 

 

Loki’s date (could you call it that?) left him in a state of mild panic, making him toss and turn all night. In the morning, he made his tea, he fed Hulk, and stressed over Thor in extreme lengths. Bruce’s thumb had been hovering over the call button on his phone on Thor’s contact. He’d weighed the pros and cons over and over again in his head - and, admittedly, on college-ruled notebook paper - but, despite deciding it would logically be best to pick up the damn phone, he had been almost selecting the option every two minutes for the past twenty. 

 

Bruce didn’t call him.

 

The only contact Bruce had with the outside world all weekend was Principal Fury emailing him that Thor would, in fact, be joining Bruce as “co-directors” for  _ Anything Goes _ ’ tech crew. Fantastic.

 

Monday morning was horribly awkward. Despite their fight, Thor was still waiting in the lounge earlier than anyone else. He looked considerably different than usual, though. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he didn’t even look up from his phone when Bruce entered the room.

 

They sat in silence while Bruce prepped for the meeting.

 

Bruce considered himself an eloquent person, but all that was running through his mind as he pretended to look busy was “this sucks”. That’s why he was even happier than he normal was to see Natasha, Steve, and Tony plop themselves down at Thor’s table.

 

“Hello,” Tony made a “ _ whoop _ ” noise at Bruce’s lack of enthusiasm. “Hi, Tony. Just a few things to go over. Everyone should be about mid-way through the astronomy projects by tomorrow. If you’re having trouble, cut down the assignment to just the moon section and see if that gets kids to focus. Robotics won their tournament on Saturday, so congratulations to Steve and his students. Also,” Bruce shook his head. “Mr. Odinson will be co-running the tech crew with me, effective starting at tonight’s practice.”

 

“Whoa, what?” Tony turned to Thor. “That’s Bruce’s division.”

 

“I know, but, I-”

 

“That concludes the briefing. You’re all dismissed,” Bruce slammed his laptop closed and walked out without any further comment. He didn’t need his coworkers jumping to his defense. He had 7 P.H.d.’s, for fuck’s sake. Bruce was fully capable of protecting himself. Maybe the meant he sobbed alone a lot, but at least he wasn’t sobbing in front of other people.

 

The rest of the day did not go well. His classes were thankfully uneventful due to a day full of work time for his 3 sophomore classes, other than Peter pointing out that the joke of the day was a repeat from the first week of school.  _ You’re slipping, Bruce. Do your job. _

 

Tech crew for  _ Anything Goes  _ met on the stage at last as they prepared for the upcoming tech week. A group of gangly nerds - Bruce included himself in this description - had to pick up their 600lb stage-wide boat and set it so they didn’t accidentally crush the actors. 

 

Bruce had the kids circle up on the stage, ready to give his pre-tech, first-day-onstage pep talk/motivational speech/review of the rules. They all looked at him expectantly, all of them excited to hear what he had to say - despite all of them (minus Peter) having heard it many times before.

 

“I wanna start by saying; Welcome,” Bruce grinned. His students never failed to improve his mood, and being on the stage filled him with even more pride than they typically brought him. 

 

But then Thor walked in late, and Bruce was back to his grumpy self.

 

“Sorry! I thought we were meeting in Bruce’s room. I mean, Dr. Banner,” He panted while setting his bag down on a table MJ had just finished building. Thor stood by Bruce and smiled wide at the kids. “I’m excited to help! Co-directing wasn’t what I had in mind exactly, but I’m happy to help!”

 

Bruce restrained from rolling his eyes as he shifted his weight away from Thor. The kids actually seemed glad to see him. Bruce cleared his throat to bring the eyes back to him.

 

“As I was saying,” Bruce began to walk around the circle idly. “Right now, this stage is an empty canvas. A plain black stage with nothing but us and our imaginations. For some of you, this is the first time you’ve been here. For others, it’s one of the last. We-”

 

“It’s my first, too, so don’t worry, Parker,” Thor winked.

 

“Okay, uh. Anyways,” Bruce bit his cheek. “Our work has only just begun. This stage is just waiting for you to bestow your creativity upon it for this eclectic show. I’ve seen what you’ve done. I know how incredible you all are. Soon, you get to show audiences from all across the city. Friends, family, total strangers are all ready to see what you can do. You’ve proved it to me. Now show the world.”

 

The crew burst into applause, Peter cheering especially loud. Thor even clapped along with them, though he seemed like he didn’t fully understand why he was doing it.

 

“Dr. Banner, can I start painting the stage?” MJ asked. 

 

“Yep. Take my keys and get the white and sky from the closet, okay? And bring Chris, he looks like he needs something to do,” Bruce threw a ring of keys at her and she caught them, clutching Chris’ shirt and dragging him with her as she walked offstage.

 

“Okay. Ned, Peter, Jason - How much can you guys lift? We need to pick up the boat and set it.”

 

The boys exchanged a fearful look.

 

“Um, maybe 100?” Peter squeaked. His face had paled, and Bruce sighed, and immediately regretted it seeing shame cross his face.

 

“Ugh. Okay. Maybe we should wait until MJ gets back. She looks strong,” Bruce frowned.

 

“I can help!” Thor said. “I can lift 700 most days.”

 

Bruce swallowed hard, refusing to leer at Thor’s arms like some creep.  _ He doesn’t want you, Bruce. Leave him alone. _

 

“Okay. Thor and Peter take the left side, Ned and Jason take the right. I’ll stabilize. Is that alright with everyone?” His team confirmed and took to their sides. All Bruce had to do was push the triangles they made out of some wood scraps against the boat so it wouldn’t fall backwards. “On my count. 1, 2, 3!”

 

The left side of the boat shot up, Thor holding it up high enough that Peter couldn’t even reach it. On the right side, however, there was only about an inch between the kids’ fingers and the floor.

 

“Bruce, come take my place and hold it with Peter. I will help the others,” Thor decided. It wasn’t the worst plan in the world. It could actually work.

 

“No,” Bruce retorted without thinking. “I’ll go help Ned and Jason. It’s fine.”

 

Bruce was a small man, and yet he wasn’t as weak as most people assumed. He would never be Thor-strong, of course, but the right side went up with a few curses and a lot of straining. Once it was perpendicular to the floor, he ran quickly to the stabilizers and rammed them against the boat.

 

Thor let go cautiously, and the boys followed suit. It stayed.

 

“Nice job, everyone!” Thor fist-bumped Peter, who looked like he just might pass out.

 

“What’d you losers do?” MJ snarked before seeing the finished boat. “Damn. This rocks.”

 

“You’re right, MJ. It does rock. We’re gonna need all hands on deck for painting, so everyone grab a brush. Oh, and Peter, can you see me in the seats? MJ?” Bruce held out a hand and she tossed the keys to him, which hit him and clattered to the stage. 

 

“Whoops,” MJ smirked. “Alright, ladies. You know the rules. No paint fights, no talking to me. Let’s get into it.”

 

Bruce caught Peter’s eye and beckoned him towards the chairs in front of the stage. They walked together in silence. Bruce knew he needed to have a heart-to-heart with Peter - he just didn’t know what he was going to say. He felt like he was at a new low. Not just because of Thor. It was as though he never moved past his childhood, and keeping things trapped inside clearly wasn’t doing him any favors. 

 

“Sir? Did you want to say something?”

 

Bruce was pulled from his thoughts by Peter’s concern.

 

“Oh, yes,” they sat down in the fourth row by the aisle. “I think I need to apologize to you.”

 

“Okay… For what?”

 

“I don’t know,” Bruce shook his head. “I think I’ve been rude to you, and I don’t mean to be.”

 

“That’s alright. I do things I don’t mean sometimes. Once my mom left, I was angry a lot. Plus, I was going through-” Peter caught himself. “Some personal issues that made me really sad. I’m lucky Ned stuck by me the whole time.”

 

Bruce considered this for a moment. He had always admired his students, but Peter was something else. Determination and kindness flowed through him no matter what happened. Bruce didn’t know the strifes of being a young trans kid, but he’d gone through being a young gay kid and that was horrible enough. It was time to be honest. Like Peter.

 

“My father hated me,” the words spilled out of his mouth, and once they started, he couldn’t stop. “He beat me, either because I wasn’t smart enough or because I was too smart. And because I’m gay. My mother was murdered by him right in front of me when I was five, and he would’ve done the same to me if the police hadn’t arrived when they did. I’ve always been terrified that I’d turn into him. I’ve always had anger issues because of him, and the thought that I could be hurting someone because of it...”

 

_ That was a mistake.  _ This child is 15 years old, and Bruce was treating him like he was a therapist. Peter was looking at him with such pity - no, it was… understanding?

 

“I’m sorry, Dr. Banner,” he went quiet. “I’m so sorry.”

 

“No, I am, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

 

“I’m glad you did. Um, I’m transgender,” Peter mumbled.

 

“I know,” Bruce smiled at him. 

 

“You’re not a bad person, Sir. You being scared of that shows that you aren’t.”

 

Bruce wiped his eyes before the rush of tears could come out. He whispered a ‘thank you’ and left, rushing to the bathroom by the men’s dressing room. The mirror was smudged, but Bruce saw the euphoric relief in his eyes clearly. 

 

**thor, 3:29pm**

_ are u ok?? _

 

**Bruce Banner, 3:32pm**

_ I am leaving early. Make sure the kids use two parts sky and two parts white for the rim of the stage. _

 

**thor, 3:32pm**

_ sure. but are you ok bruce? _

 

Bruce wasn’t sure. Part of him wanted to ask “just why do you care?”.

 

**Bruce Banner, 3:34pm**

_ I’m fine. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> isn't peter a sweetie? and good on bruce for actually talking to someone about his problems, eh?


	12. anything goes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bruce and thor finally have a chat and young love begins to bloom...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time for the gays!

**WEEK SEVEN**

 

Hell reigned the next Monday afternoon.

 

In other words, tech week for the fall musical had begun. 

 

Bruce was lucky his students were smart, because most of his energy was going towards avoiding Thor. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was doing it - Thor was clearly fine with what had happened, as there were almost 15 unread texts from him burning a hole in Bruce’s phone. 

 

Call him a wimp, call him a pussy, but Bruce really didn’t want to have that conversation with someone he definitely still wanted to get with.

 

It slowly was getting harder and harder to make the best show possible when Bruce and Thor weren’t speaking. Creative decisions began to clash - Thor had approved a light wood desk for scene five that went horribly with Reno Sweeney’s white and yellow dress Bruce had given the all-clear on. 

 

That didn’t mean Bruce was going to talk to him, though.

 

Thor seemed to have other ideas.

 

“Bruce,” Thor came up to him after the second day of tech week. The actress playing Hope had just finished warbling her way through her “show-stopping” solo when the director decided to call an end to the rehearsal. 

 

“What do you need? Is this about the amount of wine bottles in the first scene? I think there are too many. Alcoholism as a joke isn’t appropriate.”

 

“Okay, I can do that. But I actually wanted to speak to you about something else,” Bruce continued packing his bag to leave for the day, but stayed to listen nonetheless. “I was not trying to take your job, Bruce, and it’s tearing me into pieces that you were lead to believe that. It is very important to me that you are aware of this.”

 

Thor was always one for the dramatics.

 

Then again, so was Bruce.

 

“What were you trying to do then, Thor?” Bruce huffed and turned to look at the other man.

 

“I wanted to help you! You always seem so tired, a-and sad, and I was hoping I could take some of the work off your hands. Be your intern, or something. I never meant anything else by it. Promise,” Thor held out his pinky.

 

“Really?”

 

“On my honor.”

 

Bruce wasn’t sure what to think of this. In the short time he’d been close with Thor, Bruce had known him to be an incredibly thoughtful. Still, he now felt like they were strangers. Or maybe Bruce was just hoping they were.

 

Bruce met Thor’s pinky finger with his own and squeezed.

 

“That’s… actually really charitable of you, Thor. Thank you,” Bruce released his hand and Thor smiled.

 

“Does that mean you will forgive me?”

 

Normally, Bruce would continue his grumpy streak and say no. He opened his mouth to say it, deny him to avoid future pain, but he caught himself.

 

_ It’s time to be honest. _

 

_ Like Peter would. _

 

Hell, Bruce needed to find role models that were older than him.

 

“I believe you,” Thor let out a sigh of relief. 

 

“Back to normal?” Thor stuck out his hand for a high-five.

 

“Whatever that may mean,” Bruce met it with his fist.

 

“I think,” Thor cleared his throat and a new energy settled among them. “We need to talk about what happened after the bar.”

 

Bruce suddenly felt as nervous as Thor looked.

 

“No,” Bruce flushed. “I’d really rather we didn’t. I’m already embarrassed enough, I-”

 

“Bruce,” Thor had gone quiet, and his eyes were searching Bruce’s face for… something. “I don’t really know how to say this, but-”

 

“Thor,” Bruce stopped him. “I’m being serious. I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“I don’t intend to pry, but I do not think it’s sensible to ignore it. Plus,” Thor took a deep breath. “I need to tell you, I-”

 

“Dr. Banner! Mr. Odinson!” Ned ran up to them. “I need your keys?”

 

“What? Why?” Bruce asked.

 

“Are you alright, Mr. Leeds?”

 

“No! Yes,” Ned paused “I’m fine, technically, but MJ and Peter got locked in the paint closet. I need the keys to get them out.”

 

“No! I’ll do it myself. It’s fine,” Bruce stumbled over his quick words once he realized this was an easy out to opening up about feelings. Honesty can wait.

 

He bid a stunted farewell to Thor and rushed to the closet outside the theatre doors.

 

“Peter? MJ?” He called upon arrival, rapping his knuckles against the metal door.

 

“Banner? Damn it. I told Ned not to get you,” MJ sighed. Bruce could feel her glare from behind the door.

 

“Sorry, he wanted to do it himself!” Ned folded his arms.

 

“Do you want me to get you out or not?”

 

“Yes, please!” A squeak came that could only belong to Peter.

 

Bruce unlocked the door, and out came a pair of ruffled-looking teenagers with their heads down as soon as it was cracked open. 

 

“Good night, Dr. Banner!” Peter mumbled, speed-walking away in a flush of embarrassment. MJ followed him.

 

“Were they, uh…” Bruce couldn’t find the words for the question he wanted to ask. He of course does not pick favorites between his students, but… MJ and Peter were his favorite students. He wanted both of them to be very happy, and if they found happiness together, then Bruce would perhaps reconsider the existence of God. (Maybe that’s an exaggeration). Bruce would prefer, however, that they had their first kiss  _ outside  _ of the school. And after tech week.

 

“No! Gross, Dr. Banner!” Ned scrunched up his nose, but his eyes were full of hope regardless.

 

“Jeez,” Bruce muttered. “I have no idea what to do with this information.”

 

“Tease them? That’s what I’m gonna do!” Ned was more adrenalized than he was after  _ Star Wars: The Force Awakens  _ lived up to his expectations.

 

“That seems inappropriate…” Bruce contemplated.

 

“More inappropriate than making out in the paint closet?”

 

Bruce laughed, though Ned certainly wasn’t wrong.

 

“Tease them it is. You’re a smart guy, Ned. A good friend, too.”

 

Ned filled with pride, and it showed on the surface.

 

“Thanks, Dr. Banner! You too!” Ned groaned. “Not the friend part. I mean, you might be a good friend. But I wouldn’t know that. Um…”

 

“It’s alright, Ned,” Bruce chuckled and locked the closet. “Turn off the house lights when you leave, okay? Have a good night, buddy.”

 

“Thanks! Drive safe! Love you!”

 

There was a silent pause.

 

“Wait - shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how cute are peter and mj? while anything goes be a success? and DEAR GOD, WHAT WAS THOR GONNA SAY???
> 
> next chapter won’t be up for awhile. there are only about two chapters left, so i want to make sure i feel really proud of the story’s climax. love you guys!


	13. it’s de-lovely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we reach the climax of our story during the opening of anything goes! featuring thor getting interrupted a lot and bruce being a ~professional~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh!!!! we're here!!!!!!! the Moment!!!!!!!!! there is quite a bit of technical talk in this chapter so if you aren't familiar with the tech stuff... good luck? it may also help to pull up a track list for the revival of anything goes if you don't know the show. PLEASE watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2GkrFlmGZI first to get a picture of what's going down on stage at a certain part. minor sexual content towards the end of this chapter. have fun!

Bruce was unbelievably proud of everyone involved with the school production.

 

That expanded past his own students - the actors were fantastic performers, especially for their ages, and the costuming department had done a brilliant job making the characters shine. There was nothing more to be done. They were ready.

 

But not without their final speech.

 

A full audience was waiting outside the theatre as Bruce’s alarm informed him there were only a half hour to showtime. An audience of 30 performers, four techs, three costumes, and one Thor sat in the first few rows of plush red seats, watching Bruce in a haze of anxiety and excitement.

 

“Opening night,” Bruce started. “This stage started as a blank slate. An empty canvas. A plain black stage with nothing but us and our imaginations. All of us have worked long and hard to make this show wonderful, and I assure you, that hard work has paid off. This show is beautiful, and that is entirely thanks to your young minds. You’ve proved it to me. Now let’s kick some ass!”

 

The kids all whooped and hollered, breaking off into groups to go to their respective positions. The doors to the seats opened and hundreds of people flooded in. Bruce beamed and slid between the slit in the front curtains.

 

“Bruce!” Thor clapped his hands together when he entered. “Wonderful speech! I’m guessing I’ll hear it a lot over the next years?”

 

“Yeah, thanks,” Bruce couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “It’s the same thing every show, but the kids always go crazy for it.”

 

“You should be the one under the lights, eh?” Thor grinned.  

 

“Oh, please…”

 

“Hey, so, we got interrupted the other day. I wanted to bring it up, but… If I’m being honest, I was a bit scared to,” Thor mumbled. “Uh, so, when we were at your apartment, I want-”

 

“10 minutes to curtain!” MJ came up to them and shoved a clipboard into Bruce’s arms. She was dressed in all black like the rest of the running crew. The only difference, though, was that MJ had a microphone around her head that matched Bruce’s.

 

“Oh, shit. Thanks, MJ!” Bruce sighed. “Sorry, Thor, I have to check in with the booth. Oh, and, Paul needs help with the quick change into ‘De-Lovely’, but Peter has to run Hope’s spotlight then instead now that Flash has to bring on the step. Can you do that?”

 

“O-oh, okay? But I needed to talk to you about-”

 

“Great, thanks Thor,” Bruce said. It honestly was not that Bruce didn’t want to talk to Thor. He didn’t, but that wasn’t why. Bruce was nothing if not professional - at least, he tried to be - and there was no way he would run the risk of hurting the show for his own relationship problems.

 

Not that there were problems, per se.

 

Bruce hoped there weren’t problems. _Oh God, is Thor going to say there are problems?_

 

Bruce checked in with every area. Lighting was in tip-top shape, the only costume that needed last-minute fixing didn’t need to be on Reno Sweeney until the finale, and all the lavs were charged to their full potential. They were ready.

 

Within a few minutes, the band began to play the overture, and all of the actors were whispering and giggling softly in the wings.

 

“Break a leg,” Thor whispered to him, close enough that Bruce could feel his breath hot against his ear.

 

“You too,” Bruce whispered. He pressed a button on the cord of his mic. “Alright. Overture is over in ten seconds. Lights to 1B, spot down left. We got this, kids!”

 

The first scene began with ease, the actress playing Reno intoxicating the audience with her charm and enchanting vocals. Bruce exhaled in relief and turned off his headset.

 

“You need to relax, Bruce. Everything’s going great. Can I help you with anything?” Thor said next to him.

 

“No, I actually don’t have a cue until ‘I Get A Kick Out of You’ is over. I’m gonna relish these 2 minutes of nothing. Thank you, though,” Bruce chuckled lowly.

 

“Oh, if you have a minute, then, we can talk!” Thor said, his voice raising past a whisper. A freshman in the ensemble shushed him, and he apologized in a stage whisper.

 

“Yes, sure. Make it quick, please,” Bruce flipped through the pages on his clipboard.

 

“Quick? Okay, um…” Thor gathered his thoughts for a moment. “I’ll just dive right in, I suppose? I had a great time at the bar, because I really like talking to you, no matter what we’re talking about. Our friendship has meant a lot to me, but I think-”

 

“Hold that thought,” Bruce held up a hand, holding down the button on his headset. “Fade lights in to 2A. MJ, Paul’s ‘De-Lovely’ wig is missing. Can you get on that? Flash, your spot needs to be at 75%. We’re going for inner glow, but blinding,” Bruce clicked the button. “Sorry, Thor, now isn’t a good-” He pressed it again. “Damn it, how are _both_ of Reno’s mics off? Jason? Chris? Hello? Dear God.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Yes. No. My headset is out. Don’t forget Paul’s change!” Bruce ripped it off his head and walked away from Thor and to where he hoped to find MJ.

 

“Yes sir!”

 

Bruce was overwhelmed, and it was his 21st show at Crawford. Poor Thor seemed like he was the the verge of throwing up, and he all he had to do was assist with one costume change.

 

Luckily, MJ sent someone to find him a replacement headset, and was willing to do his cues until it was on him.

 

Bruce didn’t make it back to Thor’s side in the wings of stage right until just after ‘Friendship’ - which sorta sucked, since it was easily one of the best numbers in the show. Casting a girl as Moonie was a better directing decision since they had Danny dress like Sandy at the end of _Grease!_ instead of the other way around.

 

“Still no headset?”

 

“MJ’s working on it.”

 

“She’s a nice girl.”

 

“You’re exactly right,” Bruce laughed and folded his arms.

 

“If you don’t have any cues then…” Bruce’s face fell, but he nodded anyways. _You can’t avoid him forever_.

 

“Great!” It was then that the orchestra swelled with a familiar love theme. “Oh, ‘De-Lovely’ is starting. Ha, that’s…” If Bruce hadn’t graduated from Harvard, he would’ve thought he saw a pink flush on Thor’s cheeks in the dark.  

 

“Aw, I love this scene…” Bruce cooed at the stage.

 

“Bruce, I…” Bruce turned from the stage to lock eyes with Thor. “You mean so much to me, and I’m not really sure how, or why, and I don’t know what to do with it all. Do you remember, _that night_ , when you said I was too bright? That’s… That’s you, Bruce. But, even more. You’re like a car crash, but in a good, non-tragic way. You’re so wonderful that I can’t look away, even though it makes me confused and scared and…” Thor rested a hand on Bruce’s arm. “I adore you, Bruce. I’m not very good with words, did that make sense?”

 

Bruce could barely speak. At some point, he lifted his hands to cover his mouth in disbelief, or shock, or _something_. He brought them down to his sides.

 

“Yes,” He cleared his throat, but it still felt closed. “Then why did you run away?”

 

“God, I’m so sorry for that. You make me feel, Bruce, and sometimes it’s all too much, and… I don't know. I think I was overwhelmed. I want to kiss you, I do.”

 

“Then kiss me,” Bruce breathed. Thor let out a laugh that almost sounded like a sob and stepped closer to him. Thor lifted Bruce’s chin and pressed his lips to Bruce’s gently, as if Bruce was something delicate and lovely that needed to be protected, and let his other hand caress at his side.

 

Bruce placed his hands in Thor’s hair - a long-lasting dream of his - and tugged, softly, bringing them closer together. There was no possible way for Thor to be as near to Bruce as he wanted.

 

When they parted, Thor was flooded in the pink light coming from the stage. Thor’s eyes fluttered open, soft and almost dazed.

 

_“It’s de-lovely…”_

 

“Dr. Banner, I - Oh!” Peter chirped behind him. “Sorry!”

 

Bruce whipped around with an embarrassed smile.

 

“No, I’m sorry! This is inappropriate! Is that for me?” Peter handed him a microphone.

 

“It’s - I’m - Okay!” Peter ran off, more flustered than Bruce was.

 

When Bruce spun around to face his crush, Thor wasted no time in leaning in again.

 

“Wait, Thor,” Bruce pressed a hand to Thor’s chest. “Oh, man, that’s… hard. Wow.”

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to be uncomfortable!” Thor took a few steps back and held out his hands, giving Bruce some space.

 

“No, no, it’s not that! I just…” Bruce pressed the headset’s on button. “Lights to 6A, prep for blackout in 60 seconds. Spotlight on Reno in 3, 2, 1…” Bruce pushed his headset down to his neck. “Thor, I want this. I want _you_. But… we have jobs to do.”

 

“Yes. Sorry,” Thor cleared his throat.

 

“Good,” Bruce glanced over his shoulder and leaned closer to Thor. “I’ll see you after the show?”

 

Thor flashed his signature grin.

 

“Isn’t that a little unprofessional, Dr. Banner?”

 

“Yes, well. Anything goes!”

 

Bruce high-fived himself later for his ability to be professional, even when the hottest man in the universe kissed him. He mentally redacted his self-congratulation when Thor pushed him against the stiff wall of the paint closet only seconds after the last person left the school, Thor's leg pressed between his. 

 

“Bruce, I need...” Thor rested his forehead against his lover’s.

 

“What do you want, babe?”

 

“Everything you’re willing to give me.”

 

“Thor,” Bruce all but whined. He wanted all of Thor. He _needed_ Thor. “Come on.”

 

Thor groaned and reconnected their lips, any gentleness from their first kiss replaced by a surge of passion. He cupped Bruce’s cheek and bit down on his lip lightly. Bruce sighed against Thor’s lips, but it turned into a moan when Thor slipped his other hand under Bruce’s shirt, cold against his back.

 

“Is it alright if I-”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You don’t know what I was gonna say.”

 

“I know. Give me everything, Thor.”

 

“Absolutely, hon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH!!!!!!!!! THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! them!!!!!!!!! babes!!!! wow. they finally kissed. them. THEM.


	14. you’re the top

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> our boys done did it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah! the last chapter! it's finally here! sorry for the wait, i hope it's worth it. there's some moderately explicit stuff in the chapter so be warned. i'll miss writing these losers. thanks so much for reading!

**SUNDAY MORNING, WEEK EIGHT**

 

Bruce had never believed in a God.

 

He had no reason to. His father beat him and murdered his mother right in front of him. That was fairly solid proof that there was no all-powerful, all-knowing force that was watching over and protecting him, and Bruce really didn’t think he needed another reason to back up his thesis.

 

Bruce had never believed in a God until he woke up on a peaceful Sunday morning with Thor Odinson holding him like a teddy bear.

 

Memories of the previous night crept their way into Bruce’s head. Judging by the very naked Thor that was pressed against him, it certainly wasn’t a dream.

 

Bruce tried to sit up, but Thor’s arm tightened around his waist and drew him in so he turned over, now facing his (friend? Lover?  _ Boyfriend _ ?) guest. He allowed himself a moment to admire Thor as he slept. Bruce had never noticed how long his eyelashes were. 

 

He tilted his head up to look over the large and rough shoulder at his clock. There were still a few hours until he needed to get up, so he allowed himself to rest his eyes and bask in the bubble of happiness he found himself in.

 

However, Bruce found himself waking up again a few hours later to a bed warm from the sun shining through. He flopped his arm out next to him so he could pull Thor into his chest, but he was met with nothing but mattress. That woke him up quickly.

 

Bruce sat up and pulled the sheets up to his stomach to cover himself. 

 

Thor wasn’t there.   
  


Bruce immediately began to obsess.  _ What went wrong? Was last night… bad? Was this all one huge prank? _

 

Just as Bruce’s breath began to pick up, his bedroom door opened and Thor poked his head in, mumbling to himself. 

 

“I’m glad I - Oh, Bruce!” Thor smiled and sat down on the bed next to him. “I was hoping you’d wake up soon. I made eggs. Also, I spilled milk  _ everywhere _ . The whole gallon. I cleaned it, though. How are you, beautiful?” He leaned in and pecked Bruce on the cheek.

 

“Mm. I’m good, now that you’re here,” Bruce couldn’t believe he let the words come out of his mouth.

 

“Cheesy. I like it,” Thor brushed some cat hair off his shirt - the same one he was wearing last night. “I got acquainted with your cat. Breakfast?” 

 

Bruce normally couldn’t keep up with Thor and his jumpy brain, but he  _ definitely  _ struggled to match his pace before noon. Nevertheless, he followed Thor into the kitchen -  _ after  _ throwing on crumpled up sweatpants. 

 

“Do you want anything to drink? Water, tea, coffee… I think I have orange juice, too,” Bruce offered as Thor set a plate of scrambled eggs on the kitchen island he stood in front of.

 

“That’s okay! I actually have to leave. Loki and I are going to what he refers to as ‘gay brunch’. And hey, I can actually participate now that I have some gay gossip of my own! Thank you!” Thor leaned across the island and kissed Bruce, softly and short. 

 

“You’re welcome?” 

 

Thor left Bruce’s apartment only minutes after, and Bruce was hit by the sudden reality that he would have to spend an entire day doing production human things instead of sitting on Thor’s lap for hours, reading a book, drinking tea, and occasionally grinding against him. 

 

Bruce elected to spend the rest of the day actually encouraging his Thor-Thoughts, as well as working on the outline for the Monday briefing.  _ Anything Goes  _ opened, field trip slips need to be in by Wednesday at the latest, Thor’s eyes are the exact same color as the  Rotomairewhenua Lake, Bruce needed someone to volunteer to stay after school and clean test tubes, Bruce saw stars last night when Thor hit that  _ one spot  _ inside of him that - 

 

Okay. 

 

Bruce maybe needed to keep the Thor-Thoughts to a minimum.

 

Sunday went agonizingly slow, but it went all the same. Bruce tossed and turned in his (much too empty) bed all night, too excited to see Thor again the next morning.

 

He all but skipped into school Monday morning, arriving a few moments earlier than normal so he could talk to Thor for longer than usual. 

 

Thor wasn’t in the science lounge when he arrived.

 

Bruce waited five minutes.

 

Then 10. 

 

And then Tony, Natasha, and Steve were stumbling through the door, and the meeting was starting.

 

“Uh, does anyone know where Thor is?” Not Bruce’s best opener.

 

“Good morning to you too, Brucie,” Tony slid off his sunglasses and smirked.

 

“Hush. Nat? Steve?”   
  
“No, sorry Bruce.”

 

“Why don’t you text him?”

 

“No, no, I don’t want to come on too strong,” The teachers at the table shared an amused glance with each other.

 

“Bruce,” Steve started, slowly and carefully. “Are you-”

 

“Did you fuck?”

 

Bruce flushed and cleared his throat. 

 

“So, the musical’s opening was very successful on Saturday. Remember to remind your kids about the field trip to the zoo - Yes, Steve, I know the zoo doesn’t treat animals properly, put your hand down.”

 

“The polar bears are dying in there!”

 

“Tony, you’re staying after to clean the test tubes tonight. Meeting over.”

 

Bruce loved his coworkers. He just wanted to punch the shit out of them sometimes.

 

The minute-long walk from the lounge to his classroom was painful. Was Thor sick, or hurt? Did he miss his alarm? Did he decide to avoid Bruce for the rest of his life?

 

But, he locked eyes with Thor himself when he opened his unlocked classroom door. Thor, who was sitting at Bruce’s desk, stood swiftly to stand by the whiteboard.

 

“Bruce! Hello,” Thor smiled, but his eyebrows were knitted together in worry. “You look beautiful. Or, good, or. Um. Did you read the joke?” Thor tilted his head towards the science joke of the day.

 

_ Are you a carbon sample? Cause I wanna date you! _

 

Bruce dropped his laptop bag to the ground and he broke out into a grin. 

 

“Do you not get it? It’s because of carbon dating, and so it’s a joke. But I’m also asking you out. Is that okay? If it isn’t, I-”

 

“Shut up, love,” Bruce strided to Thor, hooking his arms around his neck and standing up on his tiptoes to pull him into a kiss. Their lips fit together wonderfully, and though they pressed against each other gently, Bruce felt his heart swell when Thor carded his fingers through his hair and ran his thumb across the waistband of his suit pants, tickling him slightly when he brushed against the side of his stomach. 

 

“That’s a yes?” Thor asked when they pulled away, keeping Bruce close to him.

 

“That’s a yes,” Bruce twisted up to rejoin their lips, but Thor took a step back. 

 

“I will see you later then, Dr. Banner,” Thor coughed. Bruce had been much too distracted to see Peter, MJ, and Ned enter the room. They were staring ecstatically at the pair.

 

“Oh,” Bruce rubbed a hand over his mouth and nodded. “Yes. Goodbye, Mr. Odinson.”

 

Thor stared at him for a moment, his eyes bright and happy, before resting a hand on Bruce’s jawline and pressing a short kiss to his cheek. 

 

“Bye, hon!” Thor actually  _ did  _ skip out of the room, leaving Bruce to attempt to act casually as he picked up his discarded bag and sat down at his desk. There was a hefty white book sat in the center of his desk, with a hot pink post-it note slipped in the middle that appeared to have a winky face on it. Bruce opened the book to that page, peeled the note off, and stuck it to the table. 

 

“Oh my god,” Bruce groaned.

 

“You okay, Dr. Banner?” Ned asked gleefully. 

 

“Looks like Principal Fury got me a present,” Bruce laughed despite himself and help up the open book so his students could see. 

 

_ The Do’s and Don’ts of a Teacher - Teacher Relationship: A Crawford Guide. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! WE DID IT! AHHH! i love you guys so very much. if you wanna hmu, my stan twitter is @apexprada, so feel free to shower me with compliments there and here. im kidding. love you guys so much!!

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed the chapter! comments are gnarly!


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